Cloud Computing and Best Transformation Practices Innovation 4 Mar 2022 2 min read Blake Grewal Read more posts by this author. By Blake Grewal What is Cloud Computing? The cloud in the world of technology does not actually sit in the sky, although that would be pretty cool! Software and services that run on the internet operate on the cloud, allowing businesses and consumers to access applications as well as retrieve data from anywhere, not just a single computer. Examples of cloud services include Google Drive, Netflix, Dropbox, and Apple’s iCloud. Due to the pandemic, 60% of businesses in 2020 migrated to the cloud as many adopted remote or hybrid work cultures. Additionally, Gartner forecasts a rapid global expansion of cloud adoption, with end-user spending on cloud services projected to grow 21.7% in 2022.Benefits of Cloud TransformationCloud transformation can have many benefits for businesses of all sizes. First, it is important to highlight the effective collaboration among teams that can occur on the cloud. Businesses can not only internally collaborate more effectively from wherever each employee resides, but they can also share information and collaboration efforts with external partners if needed. Cloud computing also offers scalability for companies with a "pay as you go" model which can help in allocating resources more effectively.Upfront, many businesses are concerned about the security risks in the cloud. But, in a survey conducted by RapidScale, 94% of businesses saw an improvement in their security efforts after their cloud transformation. This can be attributed to the data and governance control that the cloud provides. For example, if you are saving your data locally you can run into major issues if hardware problems were to arise or human error occurred. Also, you can provide specific access functions and controls to your team. This decreases the risk of private documents and information being exposed to the outside world. This also goes into the next benefit of loss prevention. If you are operating on the cloud your business can be rest-assured that your documents are safe and will not be affected by a local server issue. Lastly, cloud computing can give your business a major competitive advantage due to the increased accessibility of information and data for your team as well as the collaboration among multiple team members that can occur.Managing the Cloud Cloud computing certainly has its advantages, but it is important to understand that these advantages are achieved by following certain practices in effectively managing your cloud. Similar to developing a successful product, it is vital to have a strategy in place to manage your business’ cloud. To begin, start with outlining a strategy for your cloud migration. What data will migrate to the cloud and what will stay local? How will you ensure regular data backups? Additionally, it is important to ensure that the data is secure and encrypted throughout the data transfer process. Popular encryption methods include HTTPS and SSL. Lastly, ensure that testing, report, and monitoring is consistently being performed. This can help in managing cloud cost as unused applications can quickly eat at costs if they are not being monitored on a consistent basis. Cloud computing can offer numerous benefits to companies as they continue to innovate and scale. Companies can select from a wide-array of out of the box solutions, or build their own custom cloud solution that is unique to their business model. Building custom solutions can provide flexibility and cost-savings for a business as they grow. Codelitt enjoys helping companies create and build new things. If you have a project or idea in mind we’d love to hear from you! Contact us here. Stay up to date! Get all the latest & greatest information delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe