Has your organization had discussions about how to improve business processes and become more competitive?

If so, you've probably had a few conversations about whether to move your critical data to the Cloud.

Maybe more than a few.

Why?

Did you know? Businesses keep their most crucial data in the Cloud in 48% of cases.

And, as of 2023, 60% of all corporate data is cloud-stored.

Most firms utilize the Cloud for storage, and over half are confident enough in its security and dependability to keep their most important information there.

Through 2026, a CAGR of 16.3% is predicted for the worldwide Cloud computing industry.

The global cloud computing market, which was already impressively valued at $445.3 billion in 2021, is anticipated to increase to $947.3 billion by 2026.

That represents growth of more than $500 million in only five years. Cited: 25 Amazing Cloud Adoption Statistics [2022] – Zippia

So, how does your organization measure up?

Improving network performance is one of the main justifications for switching to the Cloud.

Additionally, performance matters more the larger the size of your organization.

How does the cloud speed up your business?

Here are 6 of the critical business improvement benefits delivered by the Cloud:

1. Increased network efficiency: For many organizations, customer retention is critical in the decision to transition to the Cloud. Performance affects more than just your IT employees; if your systems aren't functioning correctly, you risk losing clients. Additionally, network performance directly affects a company's bottom line because it is less expensive to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Low latency (processing a large volume of data with minimal delays for the user) and high availability are the two essential components of network performance (near-perfect systems uptime). A shift to the Cloud can frequently improve both of these. The fact that reputable cloud vendors often store data close to your user base supports low latency. Teams working around the clock only on cloud infrastructure support high availability.

2. Assurances of uptime: Any reputable cloud provider will provide you with an uptime guarantee, assuring you that your systems will be accessible almost always. Engage in discussion with your provider to ensure they understand and can meet your business expectations to deliver on your organization's objectives.

3. Continuous performance improvements: Automatic upgrades guarantee that you always have access to the most effective tools and will never lag behind your competition.

4. More rapid product development and rollout: Continuous delivery (CD), which involves synchronizing engineers' work throughout the day, and continuous integration (CI) are two ways cloud hosting outperforms on-premises hosting in terms of speed (deploying small software changes quickly and regularly). Even though it's tough to pinpoint specific adoption rates, CI and CD are best practices that are widely used. While CD is helpful since it presents changes to your users faster and in smaller batches and can be easily rolled back in case of an incident, the main benefit of CI is that it boosts speed (and consistency) as your team prepares for deployment. So, what does moving to the Cloud have to do with this? You can perform CI/CD on-premises, but the Cloud is typically faster and simpler. Because you can instantly access different computers and computational power through the Cloud, you can execute CI/CD processes simultaneously and dramatically accelerate these critical practices. This process is similar to enabling remote work and distributed teams.

5. Autoscale and load balancing: The computing power used for on-premise hosting is always limited. You have a predetermined number of servers, load balancers, and electrical power. If your user base expands suddenly or unpredictably, your systems may slow down or, worse yet, cease to function entirely. Cloud computing power can grow as much as it needs to manage unforeseen increases in usage thanks to automated scaling. Therefore, speed is unaffected even if your external user base quadruples overnight due to Oprah tweeting about you or if you need to double the size of your internal workforce within a week to handle increased demand.

6. Normalization: Some teams embrace migration as an opportunity to increase speed and productivity inside and outside their systems, using the transition to the Cloud as a chance to streamline internal procedures. Moving to the Cloud is an excellent opportunity to take a long, hard look at instances, workflows, documentation, and team best practices and ask questions. It's moving you toward your overall business goals, much like moving to a new house is frequently an opportunity to go through your closets and get rid of things you don't need, such as those shoes that pinch your feet or that set of golf clubs you never use.

Converting from on-premises to cloud

Switching to the Cloud will boost productivity, product development, and process speed.

However, the transition from on-premises to the Cloud is not the only aspect of this process that takes time.

The action isn't like just flipping a switch, despite the widespread misconception that it is.

The fact is that migrations take time, and you need a migration plan to perform them successfully.

Testing apps, considering bandwidth restrictions, and providing the necessary internal and external resources are all essential steps in migrating your assets to the Cloud.

Additionally, depending on the size and structure of your firm, these actions have dramatically different timelines.

The fastest case involves a tiny business with a single server and no related services, which can make the changeover in about a week. The majority of companies are dealing with a more complicated configuration involving email, document repositories, and communication platforms.

Additionally, you should expect your transfer to take longer the more extensive and integrated your systems are.

The industry standard is between one and two months, but larger organizations and intricate installations might occasionally take longer – up to four months.

And that's just the procedure technical side. It's crucial to account for the time it will take to train staff, ensure cultural and team alignment across your new systems, and update any internal documentation to reflect changes in workflow, process, and how to carry out tasks inside your upgraded systems.

Is it worth it?

The main lesson here should be that taking the long view is what we mean when we talk about the Cloud enhancing speed and saving money.

There is an upfront investment in time and money to get to a more fluid, agile, and cost-effective point.

The result, however, is business agility, higher customer engagement and satisfaction – and increased profits.

About the Author

Dynamics Success Group is an experienced Microsoft Value Added Reseller and consulting partner that provides Microsoft ERP and CRM solutions to small and mid-sized business clients in North America.

We empower organizations like yours to compete better, improve work processes, and make informed decisions.

For 25+ years, we’ve transformed hundreds of companies to achieve more, using fewer resources while reducing costs.

We love solving business problems with technology.