Reaching for the Cloud: Transitioning to the New IT Solution

Cloud computing has virtually transformed the IT world, offering the industry a wider range of technological opportunities. This new era of the cloud comes with unmatched value and efficiency for the benefit of businesses when it comes to affordability, efficiency and stability. However, as with any innovation, the growth of cloud computing also comes with a learning curve, which means working through its complexities before extracting its full potential. These challenges typically arise in the following three areas.

Making the Move

The first question that probably comes to mind is, “Where do I begin?” Adapting to the cloud is a process you’ll have to take one step at a time, but it helps to plan ahead and determine how your business can take advantage of the cloud. The applications that should take priority are those with large databases, require massive computing resources or have wildly varying resource needs. Consider evaluating email hosting providers and look into customized solutions for hosted plans. Such a plan offers various benefits in regard to cost, accessibility and little to no maintenance on your part. Your industry might also come with certain compliance requirements that will need to be met when adopting a cloud computing model. Be sure to research requirements such as PCI, GAAP, SOX, IFRS, and HIPAA to see which rules you might need to review.

Building Your Skill Set

Whether you personally find cloud computing useful or not, there’s no question that this is the direction the industry is heading. Even though the transition might be challenging, building skills with cloud computing will open new doors for IT specialists and enable those who adopt it to maintain their relevancy within the ever-changing digital community. The rise of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), for example, has spawned an entire industry based on what binds services together. Look into professional development programs that focus on strategizing with cloud computing.

Passing Your Wisdom Along

Your organization should work closely with HR to identify where cloud computing skills are most needed and which areas can be downsized to make way for the company shift. The great thing about cloud computing is that it’s built a strong community on its own, with events, conferences and social networking already established around the world. Look for professionals in your company who are currently involved in this community and encourage other employees to increase their level of engagement. Seek out new employees who have demonstrated a strong presence in the cloud computing community, and have them train your current employees to keep everyone up to date. Instead of viewing the cloud computing boom as a an obstacle to overcome, try to see it as an opportunity to build your skills and improve your organization as a whole. Even though the technology is still relatively new, don’t wait to implement this advanced system. It will undoubtedly become the standard form of delivering computing resources in the future as its benefits continue to become well known throughout the IT industry.