Back in 2018, Cisco predicted that 94% of business workloads would be cloud-based by 2022. And while we cannot safely say this has effectively happened, we must admit it sounds quite plausible these days of greatest digital transformation.

Something we are instead 100% sure about is that those who considered cloud a passing fad had it all wrong, and it still increasingly provides a big opportunity to enable business change; not only has cloud radically transformed how IT services are delivered today but it will most likely transform how they will be delivered tomorrow.

How to Thrive in the Cloud
Fair enough, the overall Cloud journey is well beyond the initiation phase and many firms are already on their way to reinvent customer experience, make data-driven decisions, and improve the agility and efficiency of operations. However, the rise and rise of cloud computing has still financial leaders asking how to better understand and take advantage of cloud opportunities, avoid risks and keep thriving.

First things first, you got to make sure you choose the right model, considering your business resources and needs together with your ultimate goal. And if choosing is fundamental, there must be something to choose between. Indeed, cloud comes in multiple forms. Here we recap the most relevant:

• Public Cloud

The term speaks for itself, public cloud is available for public use.
While benefiting in terms of convenience – the service provider is responsible for infrastructure set up and everyday burdens – reliability – 24/7 operation and no downtime –, scalability and cost-effectiveness; public cloud may pose both potential security issues and simplicity resulting from basic service plans offering.

• Private Cloud

Unlike public cloud, within the private domain, access to cloud is limited to one business only and, as a result, higher level of security and privacy is assured, together with greater reliability. In the era of hyper-personalisation, customisation is then an extremely distinctive feature of private cloud, offering solutions designed to meet specific business requirements.

However, if cost reduction is what you are searching for, private cloud may not be ideal as it might come with a higher initial cost.

• Hybrid Cloud

Dreams rarely come true. And yet, sometimes, it happens. The hybrid cloud is proof of that, merging the best features of each model to achieve sustainable security and privacy and potential long-term cost savings. Flexibility and scalability are at their highest, not to mention customisation, with business agility great enough to manage unique clients’ needs and ultimately improve performance.

How to overcome cloud challenges
There is a lot to reason about, so let’s assess the basics and let’s do it with data in hand.

Our recent LinkedIn survey briefly asked professionals which benefits they reckon as the most relevant when considering Cloud Computing, whether public, private or hybrid and which risks are most concerning.

Apparently, greater agility (52%) wins the benefits challenge and improved efficiency and increased security are confirmed to be extremely important (20%).

Against these selected benefits, cyber security threats are identified as the most concerning risk (48%), and data privacy comes just after (24%).

We expect interest in these factors to increase in the long-term and although perfection cannot be found in a cloud model rather than the other as subject to peculiar business’ needs and goals, every model still needs a service provider to set up, use and maintain. One that constantly invests in innovation, is committed to guaranteeing cost reduction and customising cloud experience, all this being compliant with the latest regulatory requirements.

Relying on such a provider will make the difference. And being on Cloud 9 will never sound just as real.

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