Accelerating Digital Transformation in Business Through a Cloud-driven Approach

The pandemic has forced many organizations, especially SMBs to digitize their operations in recent times. In fact,  a recent McKinsey survey found that 58 percent of organizations surveyed have accelerated their digitization process as a means of surviving the pandemic. This digital transformation goes far beyond integrating digital technology, but it is changing the way companies operate and provide value to their customers. Companies are adopting the cloud to bring new capabilities to market more swiftly, innovate effortlessly and scale proficiently while reducing technology risks.

Cloud-enabled business models help SMBs reduce the complexity of IT infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation while discovering new channels to increase customers' reach. But achieving success with Cloud requires a strategic mix of industry and process expertise, a secure cloud partner, and a holistic transformation approach spanning people, data, and technology.

Now, let us examine how a cloud-driven approach accelerates digital transformation.

Enhanced Security

There is always the threat of losing control over data and infrastructure for a business but switching to the cloud can significantly reduce this risk of unauthorized access and loss. Today, cloud service providers implement the best cloud security measures to protect data, apps, or even the entire infrastructure from potential threats. This is especially useful for SMBs that may not have robust in-house security teams to manage this aspect of the business.

In the changing business landscape of working from home, companies will also need to implement best practices to respond to new threats and secure their networks. SMBs often lack the resources to deal with security protocol violations, making them vulnerable to malware and ransomware attacks. Many also lack sophisticated IT infrastructure to adapt to advanced security compliance controls. As an example, therefore, SMBs can rely on cloud-based VPNs for securing their data and infrastructure from unauthorized access.

Reduced Cost

With cloud computing, businesses will not only reduce the cost of hardware and software but also dramatically cut maintenance and labor costs. As a result of hardware being owned and stored in off-site locations, businesses need not invest their own resources in managing such infrastructure.

Increased Efficiency

With cloud computing optimized to scale up or down as per business needs and the option to pay-as-you-use, one can achieve maximum efficiency. Secure cloud computing data centers provide the latest generation of equipment while ensuring reliable performance.

Flexible Scalability

Cloud computing can be tailored to business needs, providing you with the necessary computing power, resources, and bandwidth needed at a particular time. Businesses can reduce or increase resources based on their need and keep an eye on their usage.

Faster Market Reach

Speed and reliability are inseparable parts of cloud computing. Tools for automated deployment to the cloud allow new product capabilities or features to be released more frequently, enabling quick response to market demands on what works and what does not.

In a growing digital economy, companies must explore areas beyond the traditional IT model. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the need for companies to adopt a digital business model. Access to a broad suite of cloud services and resources will give companies the ability to create robust, secure, and cost-effective offerings to gain a competitive advantage. Cloud platforms can provide the necessary agility, scalability, and innovative capabilities required for this transition. Companies can dramatically accelerate their progress by focusing on cloud investment where they will deliver the most business value and build cloud-ready operating models.

The author of the article is Prabhakar Jayakumar, Sr Director & Global Head at DigitalOcean