As the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for your company, there’s a lot that you’re expected to keep track of. Developing business strategies and facilitating growth for your business requires a lot of detailed knowledge.
For example, major IT industry trends, new technologies, and IT best practices are all things that CIOs are expected to know.
Over the years, cloud computing has steadily grown, becoming stronger and more capable as technology improves. The growth of cloud computing has turned it into a game-changer for many companies.
With this in mind, what are some of the things that every CIO needs to know about cloud computing in 2016?
Here’s a short list of critical cloud computing facts we’ve collected for CIOs to consider:
#1: 64.9% of Experts Have More Faith in Cloud Security Than On-Premise IT Security
One of the biggest worries that CIOs have about the cloud is that their data will be less secure on the cloud than it would be with an on-premise IT solution. In fact, a survey carried out by the Cloud Security Alliance shows that 67.8% of respondents cited “ability to enforce corporate security policies” as a primary obstacle to cloud adoption.
However, security for cloud-based IT environments is frequently better than on-premise IT environments. According to figures cited in the CSA report, of all IT executives interviewed, “A majority, 64.9%, say that the cloud is either more secure than on-premises software or equally secure.” There are a few reasons for this, including:
- Cloud service providers can dedicate more resources to IT security than most internal IT departments. This allows cloud providers to use multiple layers of security to keep their servers secure.
- Cloud servers are not physically accessible to rogue employees with ill intentions. This helps limit data breach risks and severity.
Additionally, keeping your data and apps on a secure multi-tenant cloud can make it harder to target your company. In a statement for Information Age, the VP of strategic marketing and customer experience for CTERA Networks, Rani Osnat, said that: “A multi-tenant cloud may actually be more secure because it makes it difficult to target a particular company or data set.”
#2: Using Cloud Computing Can REDUCE IT Spend
Acquiring space on a cloud provider’s servers can provide companies of all sizes flexible, scalable infrastructure for their IT management needs, typically for less than the cost of an on-premise solution.
With on-premise infrastructure, you have to build out enough capacity to meet your needs both for now and for the future as your business grows. This means incredibly high upfront capital expenditures for equipment you may or may not need.
Using cloud-based infrastructure eliminates this large, upfront capital expense. Also, it gives you the ability to rightsize your environment since the cloud makes scalability much easier.
#3: Your Company’s Cloud Business Objectives
There are many ways to use the cloud for business. However, before your company adopts a cloud computing solution, it’s vital to know what your company needs to use the cloud for.
For example, does your business need to increase the flexibility of its IT infrastructure? Or, are you looking to lower/control your capital and operating expenses? Perhaps you need to improve the security of your infrastructure?
Clarifying what your company’s specific business goals are before adopting any cloud solution can help make finding the right cloud partner much easier. Naturally, this also means establishing a list of priorities for your cloud solution business objectives.
If your business’ top priority is meeting specific compliance standards for information security, such as ISO, PCI or HIPAA, then you will most likely want to partner with a cloud service provider that offers robust data encryption and cloud security tools.
Balancing such objectives with all of your company’s other IT concerns can be difficult, but with the right cloud service provider, you can meet all of your most important business goals.
CIOs have a tough, ever-evolving challenge in managing the IT needs of their respective organizations. The cloud helps ensure that you can meet your needs with ease, even as your company’s needs change.
For more information on how WHOA.com can help with your IT organization’s cloud strategy, download our free resource, “A Multi Layered Approach to Cloud Security” to learn more.
