Cloud computing is a very attractive proposition for many organizations today. And why not? In a competitive landscape where efficiency and cost savings is king, what could be more enticing than improving productivity, extending your computing resources on a dime, and cutting your business expenditures? That’s the promise of the Cloud (before building a Cloud infrastructure, see my last post).
As IT managers wrestle to improve productivity with tighter IT budgets, the operational and financial benefits of Cloud computing and virtualization are key drivers to why businesses of all sizes are turning to the Cloud. The ability to quickly scale your IT resources without having to invest in expensive infrastructure is critical to guaranteeing quality service delivery and meeting both your enterprise and customers’ ever-changing demands.
But while greater efficiency, scalability and lower operating costs are certainly key incentives for Cloud adoption, there’s also another, more intangible reason why businesses are moving to the Cloud -- business survival.
Organizations know that the world of tomorrow will be driven by business efficiency, and the ability to guarantee quality service delivery. If they expect to succeed, or in some cases survive, investing in the future is essential to ensuring they remain competitive from both a quality service and cost standpoint. This has been evident in the many discussions we’ve had with businesses considering Cloud service provider options. While the potential benefits around the Cloud are certainly drivers, the real thinking behind Cloud adoption is not so much about saving X-amount of dollars right now, it’s about investing in the Cloud so it becomes a business opportunity in the future, not their death.
When you think about it, the motivation behind Cloud adoption is really about both business opportunity AND business survival. This is why organizations today are planning and investing in the future. They need to make sure they’re capable of quickly making the necessary adjustments to meet their changing infrastructure and customer needs, as well as ensure they remain competitive in tomorrow’s highly efficient IT business environment.
Image Credit: Shiny Things
