Thanks to cloud solutions, companies can flexibly scale their resources.
Nowadays, businesses are more dependent on technology than ever before, which is why moving to the cloud is gaining popularity. Cloud services are useful for businesses of all sizes, and many are increasingly opting for this technology.
Advantages and disadvantages
Cloud solutions allow businesses to flexibly scale their resources to meet changing demands, ensuring that their IT infrastructure is always optimised for the needs of the business. In addition, by using the cloud, they don't have to invest in the purchase and maintenance of physical servers, which can be costly for many businesses. Instead, businesses can pay only for what they use.
"We consider the flexibility to adapt computing capacities to dynamically changing operational requirements to be a key advantage. Flexibility is understood not only in terms of increasing, but also decreasing the allocation of computing resources, which can be particularly interesting for companies with seasonal, significantly changing in time nature of operation," says Ján Szuda, Technical Director of eGroup Solutions.
The disadvantage of the cloud is the direct dependence on the cloud service provider and on external communication networks, without which no cloud services will be available. As with other IT services, IT security is critical in a cloud environment. However, currently proven commercial cloud solutions have implemented advanced tools and technologies to achieve a sufficiently high level of security.
Cloud solutions are secure when they are properly designed, implemented and managed. From this perspective, cloud providers must ensure that their services and infrastructure are adequately secure.
"In addition to security technologies, most providers have implemented certified and audited processes that ensure comprehensive and continuous management of information security. However, the customer bears the ultimate responsibility for the security of their data and applications in the cloud environment," says J. Szuda.
The right decision
Typical security measures today include, for example, user authentication and authorization, encryption, network communication protection, data backup and recovery, and security monitoring. Cloud service providers today offer security measures that are often higher than what a company could afford on its own. There are many cloud service providers on the market today with a variety of solutions. Firms should evaluate which provider and which solution is best suited for them.
Moving a business to the cloud is a complex process and requires good preparation and planning. First and foremost, the needs and requirements of the business need to be assessed. It is important to determine which applications and processes should be migrated to the cloud and what the performance and capacity requirements are. It is also important to analyse what changes in processes and approach to work will need to be made to make the use of cloud solutions effective.
The transition should be based on a good strategy that takes into account the specific needs and objectives of the company. Each company should therefore create a transition plan that includes defining goals, setting a timeline for the transition, identifying the resources and budget needed to minimize potential risks and maximize the benefits of cloud transformation.
In addition, a business should evaluate different cloud providers and choose the one that best suits its needs and goals. When choosing, it should take into account key factors such as security, reliability, performance, cost or features. The scope and level of a cloud migration strategy will, of course, vary depending on the scope and complexity of the target state.
"For large companies with extensive infrastructure and a larger application portfolio, transformation is a long-term process. With a small company, less data and applications can be assumed, which means that the transition will be less demanding and can be faster," adds the expert.
Return on investment
Today, cloud platforms allow the implementation of various extensions that provide companies with technologies and tools to adapt the cloud solution to current needs. Among the most common add-ons are identity management tools, through which authorization and authentication are ensured when accessing cloud services.
When optimizing costs, add-ons for resource monitoring, tools for obtaining a continuous overview of the use of allocated resources, performance monitoring and availability evaluation are used. In the field of security, tools for the detection and prevention of cyber attacks and the analysis of regulatory compliance are often used.
The cost of moving to the cloud can vary depending on many factors, including the size and complexity of the current IT environment, data security and privacy requirements, the number and types of applications and services to be migrated, and the cloud platform and provider chosen. Different methods are used to calculate the return, but generally the costs and benefits of moving to the cloud are compared with the costs and benefits of an on-premise environment [that is, the software or hardware is installed on computers in the company's internal environment - note. TREND].
"In order to determine the return on investment, it is necessary to appreciate the expected benefits that cloud solutions provide. These benefits can include lower costs of operation and maintenance, greater flexibility and scalability, better availability and performance, improved data management or simplified management of the IT environment."
Tips over gold
There are several trends in the field of cloud services today, such as multicloud and hybrid solutions. More and more businesses are using several cloud providers at the same time, getting benefits from each of them. Hybrid solutions are also popular because they allow companies to combine the benefits of public and private cloud.
For example, a company can use a public cloud for common applications and a private cloud for data that must be managed according to stricter security regulations. A private cloud provides a higher level of security because data is stored and managed inside the company. This minimizes the risk of them being compromised by an external attack. Cloud computing, in turn, allows companies to implement information systems at lower investment costs. This advantage will be appreciated mainly by start-up companies, or companies that are launching and piloting new products.
Cooperation with experts
For some companies, the transition to cloud solutions can be scary. However, there are established companies on the Slovak market that are dedicated to planning and transforming IT into the cloud environment so that the transition is as smooth and efficient as possible. The main advantage of working with such companies is their experience with other customers and knowledge of various cloud solutions and platforms. These companies understand the overall context of using cloud services and the typical challenges associated with them.
Thanks to this, they can help in choosing the most suitable solution for specific customer needs. Important services provided by external companies are consulting services in data and application migration, configuration of cloud services and integration of new solutions with existing systems. "Cooperation with cloud consultants can be very beneficial for companies, because thanks to their experience, they improve efficiency in eliminating the risks associated with such-and-such transformation," explains the expert.
Whether cloud solutions are suitable for a given company depends on many factors. Some industries have strict regulations and requirements for security and data protection. Therefore, they must consider whether cloud solutions meet their needs and whether they should reach for another solution.
The use of cloud services is unsuitable for companies that have limited or unstable access to the Internet, or for those that have very sensitive data or applications. It could be more advantageous and safer for them to operate their own physically separate ICT infrastructure and minimize the risk of third-party access to data.
"Legal regulations or specific security requirements can be a contraindication to the use of cloud services. In that case, the company should examine its requirements and consider whether it can use a public cloud, a private cloud or a hybrid solution," adds J. Szuda.
Source: TREND (Read the article)
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