For many people, the rise of cloud technology has been viewed with a mix of confusion and suspicion. Even for those of us who are predisposed to embracing new technologies, the cloud’s buzzword-heavy reputation and relinquishing the hands-on physical control over infrastructure makes it especially challenging.
That said, cloud computing has triggered massive changes throughout our lives. Rather than pulling a CD off the rack, all our music is readily available to stream from our phones. Instead of writing a check, we hit a button on the Internet to pay bills. I remember when the cloud was so unfamiliar it was the scapegoat for revealing embarrassing personal information in big-screen comedies. Faced with so much uncertainty, the act of recognizing how the cloud can help your business feels especially daunting.
Frankly, I get it. The cloud has been seen as a marker of the future for a long time. But that future is now. For your business, there’s no surer way to increase operational efficiency, reduce costs, and better respond to your customers’ needs than through the power of cloud technology. But before you can harness its capabilities to take your organization into the future, you must lay those uncertainties to rest.
The Cloud Eases Security and Privacy Concerns
If you’re judging the cloud by dated pop culture references, it’s no wonder that you feel some hesitation about its capabilities. From fictional depictions of accidental data leaks to all-too-real hacks of celebrity photo libraries, the cloud raised security questions. Its use constituted information stored somewhere seemingly beyond our control – and, as a result, was immediately vulnerable.
Recent news reports have shown hackers remain a threat. But your data is no more vulnerable in the cloud than with physical, on-prem infrastructure. In fact, many cloud-specific issues that centered on security have been traced back to poor configuration on the part of the user.
Whether you’re considering AWS, Azure, Google, or another, all cloud providers are responsible for a portion of your data’s security. But for all the assortments of locks and armed guards data centers can provide, there comes a point where organizations are responsible for their system’s setup, network security protocols, and firewalls. If your car is broken into, you can’t blame the alarm manufacturer if you didn’t secure the windows and doors.
Cloud Technology Assures High-Level Security with HIPAA Compliance
As cloud technology has improved over time, so have security capabilities. In the wake of the high-profile hacks from years ago, providers understand worries about security. And, as data has grown more sensitive, so has cloud providers ability to configure and protect it.
Along with banking, healthcare is among the most demanding industries for ensuring data security. HIPAA regulations require the highest level of protection for patient records and information, and this highly sensitive area has become a well-traveled path for cloud technology.
Working to ensure HIPAA compliance, cloud providers offer documentation and tools that allow organizations to assess their data security. Rather than being left to build their own environments, healthcare companies can now work with their cloud provider to establish best practices and ensure sensitive information is secure.
Setting up a cloud environment requires expertise, but the safety of your information is ultimately a shared goal. For cloud providers, their entire business model depends on security. It’s as much in their interest to prevent a damaging data breach as it is yours.
Plus, with the right data partner, healthcare organizations can then apply data analytics to manage their care and resources. Zencos has a proven track record of helping these firms improve their capabilities and better serve patients through data. Security, privacy, and data integrity remain of paramount importance across all industries.
Cloud Technology Brings Agility to Your Infrastructure Needs
For a lot of people, the perceived lack of control over physical infrastructure creates a barrier to understanding the cloud and its capabilities. But a move beyond physical infrastructure also constitutes one of the greatest strengths of the cloud.
When creating a traditional data center, you estimate all your infrastructure needs and then hope to remain below that capacity. Say you start by purchasing a hundred servers. Maybe during a busy period, you approach the top of your limited, but the rest of the time you stay well under. But in either case, you’re paying for what you need at your peek, and not what you actually need at the moment. Plus, should a need arise, you lack the flexibility to quickly add more resources when you have exceeded capacity.
Cloud is an elastic environment that allows you to address your needs in near real time. If your organization needs more resources, you can add what you need in hours instead of the months required to expand an on-prem data center. And the flexibility flows both ways. Instead of buying more servers than you need, you only pay for what your business requires.
By establishing a well-architected framework, you can ensure your cloud environment remains consistent with the agility to address shifts in demand.
The Cloud-Based Future Is Now
Regardless of how well you understand cloud infrastructure, its adoption rates only stand to increase in the New Year. More businesses see the potential of the cloud, and the industry’s leading analytics provider just signaled its approval as well.
With the new release of SAS Viya, the SAS platform’s flagship product has fully committed to cloud integration. Given SAS’ profile across multiple industries, this shift serves as another catalyst for thousands of customers to embrace cloud computing.
If you’re just beginning to explore the cloud, Zencos has the expertise to facilitate a key step toward a sustainable digital transformation. Whether your needs encompass a hybrid of on-prem and cloud capabilities or a complete cloud solution, we can deliver the right environment to suit your business.
In a turbulent economic climate, you can’t allow lingering uncertainty about advancing technology to hold your business back. Historically, businesses have long recognized the cloud as the future. Now, we’re at the point where the cloud’s capabilities are firmly established in the present.
If you keep thinking of the cloud as the future, then the future will never happen for your business. There’s no better time than now to establish a cloud strategy that’s right for your organization.