Business cloud migration continues to advance, with 92 percent of companies now using public cloud resources and 75 percent using private cloud resources, according to RightScale’s 2018 State of the Cloud Survey. Most companies are now using multiple cloud tools, with the typical IT department running applications in 3.1 clouds and experimenting in 1.7 more, for a total average of almost five clouds per organization. Over half of enterprises now spend $1.2 million on public cloud resources annually, while 26 percent spend more than $6 million a year.
Companies are investing so much in the cloud because they’re seeing major benefits in cost, security, agility and return on investment, an IBM survey shows. Here’s a look at three types of business applications where cloud migration can benefit your business.
Software Development and Operations
One of the biggest benefits companies are gaining from the cloud is speeding up their software development and deployment, says cloud migration provider Velostrata. Working in the cloud gives DevOps teams a number of major advantages.
Because cloud resources are virtually unlimited, software development teams can scale up as needed. It’s easy to secure provision of additional capacity, more disk space or better graphics processing units. When DevOps teams need these additional resources, they’re readily available.
Additionally, cloud resources can be seamlessly integrated with other network resources. Together, these cloud advantages translate into faster software development, fewer software bugs and less time between bug patches, all at reduced costs.
Collaboration
Another business application companies are finding efficient to move the cloud is collaboration. Collaboration is the backbone of enterprise operations, encompassing communication tools such as email and instant messaging, as well as project management and file sharing tools. When collaboration is run locally, it may work efficiently for local employees, but remote users may experience performance lags and other complications such as VPN access issues.
Moving collaboration workloads to a cloud-based unified communications platform overcomes the limitations of locally based collaboration, allowing all users on your network to enjoy the same collaboration environment. A unified platform lets local and remote workers interact in real-time over any communications channel, including live video chat, promoting a sense of presence and increasing productivity. Due to these benefits, 74 percent of enterprises are planning to adopt cloud communications tools over the next two years, a BroadSoft survey found.
Human Resources
Enterprises are also gaining benefits from moving their human resources suites to the cloud. The typical HR department handles a wide variety of workloads, including recruitment, benefits, payroll and relocation, to name a few. Many of these applications typically have their own servers, but they are often run only sporadically, resulting in wasted server space. This makes them ideal candidates for moving to the cloud, where usage can be scaled as needed, freeing up local resources for better use or decommissioning.
The cloud also offers other benefits to HR departments. Cloud software updates are deployed automatically, keeping HR departments current on the latest innovations and security patches. This, along with the collaboration benefits of the cloud, translates into a better user experience for HR departments and their internal clients. HR departments that move to the cloud are positioned to stay up to date with the cutting edge of HR technology, while companies that don’t move their HR to the cloud risk falling behind.
Software development, collaboration and human resources are three key areas where migrating to the cloud can benefit your business. Moving these applications to the cloud can improve your efficiency, increase your agility and cut your costs, boosting your bottom line.
