A desire that virtually all business professionals share is to be successful. While everyone has their idea of what success means, no one would disagree that greater productivity certainly qualifies as success. The limitless capabilities of cloud computing have enabled today’s business owners to achieve a high caliber of success. From easier, more streamlined access to data that can help them make more informed decisions, to much lower operating costs compared to on-premises infrastructure — which frees up cash flow for other business needs — the benefits of cloud migration are as voluminous as the cloud is large. Indeed, the benefits are boundless.
Who isn’t in the cloud yet?
Given the remarkable rate of cloud adoption and the litany of cloud providers, the question today isn’t how many businesses are already leveraging cloud infrastructure, but who isn’t yet? According to a study conducted in part by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, not only are the vast majority of today’s business owners taking advantage of cloud services — be it a cloud platform, the services offered by cloud providers, or a combination of both — but 81% say the cloud is “very” or “extremely” important to their organization’s long-term growth and strategies. Additionally, more than two-thirds (67%) said their organization was accelerating the rate of cloud adoption of existing or planned cloud applications, compared with 56% in 2020. To that end, almost 70% indicated they anticipate 60% or more of their organization’s infrastructure to be cloud-based within the next 24 months.
Cloud migration is self-recommending
Whether you call it cloud migration, cloud adoption, or simply cloud computing, the cloud is increasingly popular because it enables enterprises to achieve better business outcomes. From greater visibility to increased agility to cost reduction and process efficiency, the benefits of moving to the cloud are undeniable, making cloud migration self-recommending.
Few global events crystallized the indispensability of the cloud as clearly as the pandemic. Given the highly infectious nature of the coronavirus, which led to mandatory lockdowns that affected millions of businesses and hundreds of millions of employees, businesses worldwide were forced to close their locations, and employees were required to work entirely remotely. The sudden shift created a lot of confusion and upheaval for enterprises that lacked the infrastructure necessary for fully remote work environments. But those businesses already leveraging the cloud had a much easier time with the fully remote transition because all their data is shared and accessible with an internet connection.
Melanie Posey, research director for managed services transformation at 451 Research, highlighted that businesses that embraced cloud adoption before the pandemic were in a better strategic position to navigate the lockdown successfully and this has incentivized others to follow their lead. “Sectors that tended to be slow on the uptake of new technologies, such as government and education, were forced to accelerate their cloud usage so they could maintain operations efficiently during the lockdowns,” Posey explained. In 2021, more than 36% of business owner respondents in an S&P Global Market Intelligence poll said they increased their spending on public cloud services or infrastructure, compared with just 2% who spent more on non-cloud infrastructure.
What are the different types of cloud environments?
There are several kinds of cloud deployments, each with a variety of service and data storage offerings. Let’s explore some of the characteristics of each model:
- Public cloud
The most common, the public cloud, is generally the largest of the four offerings and tends to be used for collaborative purposes. This means that multiple users share the resources within the public cloud. How much of those resources are used affects what users spend. Oracle Cloud Applications are hosted in a public cloud. - Private cloud
Unlike a public cloud, where the infrastructure is shared, the private cloud only allows certain users to access the cloud and use it for data sharing and storage caching needs. This access is controlled by a firewall, which tracks and prevents unauthorized user traffic from penetrating the network. - Hybrid cloud
As the word “hybrid” suggests, a hybrid cloud refers to a blend of both the public cloud and the private cloud. In this arrangement, users can store data in either environment per business demands and preferences. For example, they may want to store their highly sensitive business information on the private cloud but use the public cloud to leverage its scalability. - Community cloud
The community cloud is similar to the public cloud because it allows for greater collaboration. Still, the difference between it and the public cloud is that it’s typically used by organizations that share the same goals or are in the same industry. They may also be in the same community, hence the term. Businesses that use the community cloud may also have common security or compliance concerns, which will affect how the cloud infrastructure is built.
The benefits of cloud computing
We’ve briefly discussed the primary benefits of moving to the cloud, but you may still be wondering whether cloud migration is worth the transition from on-premise. Here are just a few of the business advantages that cloud providers make possible:
Flexibility
Flexibility may be the biggest perk that the cloud has to offer. With on-premises data storage infrastructure, you’re inherently bound by the physical size of the servers and can only access the data if you’re at the location. The cloud does away with on-premises infrastructure. And since it’s all internet-based, the cloud infrastructure scales on-demand to support the needs of your business in terms of storage capacity and bandwidth.
Efficiency
Working hard in business is essential, but it’s even more important to work smart. Cloud computing increases efficiency in several ways. For example, since the cloud uses remote resources, your company saves on the expenses of on-premise servers and all the equipment that goes with them, thereby increasing cost efficiency. Additionally, all the applications and data that your business requires are accessible from any internet-enabled device. This makes it easier for everyone to work collaboratively and in the manner that best suits them.
Security
In the case of a public cloud that utilizes shared space, you may think that cloud infrastructure would be compromised from a security standpoint. On the contrary, public cloud service providers have dedicated IT teams whose singular mission is ensuring that no unauthorized users are allowed entry into a cloud environment. They’re keenly familiar with what tactics are used by cyberattacks and regularly release patches that are updated automatically. With on-premises infrastructure, you’re essentially on your own.
From cost savings to quality control to mobility, today’s cloud migration benefits are innumerable. Inspirage can help you realize these advantages of the Oracle Cloud when you choose us to perform the implementation for you. More businesses are choosing Oracle Cloud Applications and turning to Inspirage to help with their cloud migration. In fact, for the fourth year in a row, Inspirage was recognized by Gartner as a global leader in end-to-end cloud computing implementations in the Magic Quadrant.
Contact us today to learn more about our cloud services and other industry vertical solutions.
