Cloud-computing could be the biggest buzzword of the past few years, although it is still something people don’t know much about. Much of the public is not even aware that they use cloud on a daily basis through online banking, e-commerce, social networking and file sharing. And while cloud has little to do with the weather, it is changing the way companies do business.
Many companies are slow to adopt the cloud into their IT environment due to the difficulty of on-boarding all employees and their devices, the potential security risks and sometimes, plain uncertainty and fear of a new technology*. All of these are understandable concerns, as sticking with a well established and known IT process is often easier than introducing something new.
I recognize it may not be easy, but it will be required, because under no uncertain terms, the failure of manufacturing companies to embrace the power of the cloud will lead to their demise within a five-year time period.
In 2014, Amazon will cement its place as the number one threat to manufacturers because of their use of the cloud. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is Amazon’s fastest growing cloud service and adds incredible amounts of server capacity to its arsenal on a daily basis, allowing their customers to benefit and allowing AWS continued expansion to new customers.**
This cloud service can set up models based on customer needs, allowing them to plug-in at their convenience, pay-per-use and calculate the amount of storage they need. These traits are desirable in terms of cost as well as speed of service, as IT Departments are often much slower at provisioning IT infrastructure in a timely fashion and requests will often get lost in the queue.
The options for businesses quickly become:
1. Embrace the cloud and move forward or,
2. Hold out with the hope that the (storm) cloud to pass and watch your business get left behind.
The choice is clear to me.
What are your thoughts about the adaption of the cloud into businesses? Do you think it’s inevitable or something that can be avoided? I look forward to your thoughts below.
*(ciozone.com: Companies Slow to Adapt to Cloud Computing)
**(zdnet.com: AWS 101)
John J. Blair 