Introduction
In our busy lives, we often forget how much daily routines have changed compared to those of our grandparents or great-grandparents. Today, we can easily stream movies, listen to music online, order things with just a click, or video call someone on the other side of the world.
These everyday activities would have been unimaginable to our ancestors—or even to people living in remote tribes in the Amazon rainforest or on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Most applications we rely on today—like Netflix, Dropbox, and Spotify—thrive on cloud technologies. However, the benefits of public cloud solutions extend far beyond personal use, offering immense advantages for organizations looking to innovate and remain competitive.
Organizations have been able to innovate faster and more organizations have been able to participate in innovation as cost-effective public cloud pricing has made innovation and risk-taking more affordable.
In this article, we look at why organizations need public cloud or how it benefits businesses across several verticals.
Public Cloud’s Role in Evolving Business Operations
While public cloud solutions bring business benefits to organizations irrespective of their size, cloud is particularly useful for small and medium businesses (SMBs). The flexibility and scalability offered by public cloud solutions are of great benefit to startups and other businesses operating in a challenging and competitive business environment. The cost effectiveness of public cloud solutions compared to on-premises set-up or private cloud is another major core benefit of cloud.
Small organizations benefit from the security provided by cloud — most public cloud solution providers have in-built security against DDoS attacks, ransomware attacks as also other advanced cloud security solutions such as cloud firewall.
In a time of a global pandemic — a once-in-a-century event — the remote work and remote collaboration that public cloud enabled has been a great enabler of business continuity at a quite fundamental level.
Here are several reasons to consider using public cloud for your business:
Scalability, Flexibility, and Cost-Effectiveness
Millions of SMBs benefit from public cloud because of the scalability offered by public cloud solutions. Typically, Public cloud providers will have various configurations of their compute resources (virtual machines or VMs). Organizations can opt for any configuration that will meet their compute requirements.
As the business requirements change, organizations can also change their cloud subscription levels and not worry about incurring huge up-front capital expenditures.
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
Businesses face various risks, from natural disasters to cyber-attacks that can lead to data loss and downtime. A solid Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) plan is essential for any organization, especially in today’s uncertain environment. Public cloud solutions provide the necessary infrastructure to safeguard against such events.
Having a plan in place that assures lower downtime and quick data recovery speaks volumes about an organization’s commitment to operational efficiency.
AI/ML Integration and Big Data Insights
When it comes to using AI and big data, you often need some serious computing power to get the job done. Luckily, Public cloud providers make that kind of power available to everyone. Whether you’re looking to use things like natural language processing or predictive analytics, the public cloud gives businesses the flexibility to experiment with AI and machine learning without worrying too much about your budget getting stretched.
This opens doors for smaller organizations, leveling the playing field so they can compete with the big players and discover valuable insights that they couldn’t access before.
Enhanced Security
Ransomware attacks can be financially ruinous apart from damaging your reputation as a business. Organizations in finance and healthcare must comply with regulatory guidelines like HIPAA and PCI-DSS. GDPR are applicable if you are doing business in Europe.
When businesses consider transferring their data or workloads/applications to public cloud, they worry about the security of public cloud solutions.
In fact, serious public cloud providers provide robust data security, have adequate and advanced security measures in place, and ensure that they meet HIPAA, PCI-DSS and other regulatory requirements and compliance standards.
Which is why even the most highly regulated and security-obsessed businesses and verticals are on the cloud.
Improved Collaboration
It’s not uncommon for software development or software testing startups or SMBs to have staff operating from North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia.
When personnel from four continents are working as part of the same team, it’s critical that the applications, data and computer resources be on the cloud so that they are accessible from anywhere and anytime.
This is precisely where public cloud is the unbeatable choice with public cloud solutions in compute, storage, and other infrastructure that enables global collaboration.
With the right cloud security in place, nothing can empower DevOps more or foster greater productivity than public cloud solutions.
Use Cases of Public cloud
Storage: Public cloud storage provides organizations with a flexible and scalable solution for their data needs. Instead of investing huge amounts in building and maintaining their own storage infrastructure, companies can leverage cloud services to access storage capacity and technology on a pay-as-you-go basis, you can even access your files from any device, anywhere, anytime, without worrying about running out of space. In this way, not only can cost be minimized but also data security is enhanced, because the same information is stored in multiple servers. It also helps business to run smoothly even in unforeseen circumstances such as natural disasters or system outages.
Dynamic Resource Allocation
Public cloud platforms automatically allocate computing resources based on real-time demands. Companies only incur costs for the additional resources they use when needed, which enables them to scale back down later. This flexibility helps businesses to run smoothly and minimize their costs.
Hybrid Multi Cloud Strategy
Some organizations use a mix of public and private cloud. They store their sensitive data in the private cloud to have better control and compliance whereas run applications and store data in public cloud. This way cost, flexibility and security everything can be optimized.
Generative AI
Public cloud providers offer powerful AI tools that can generate content, such as text or images, based on large datasets. Companies can leverage these tools to enhance creativity and automate content creation without needing extensive infrastructure.
Edge Computing
In the Public cloud, edge computing processes data closer to the source, like IoT devices. This reduces latency and bandwidth usage by performing some computations locally, allowing for faster responses and real-time analytics.
Environmental Impact and ESG Benefits
Switching to public cloud services can be good for the environment, too. When businesses use shared resources, they can cut down on their carbon footprint and save energy. Many Public cloud providers run their data centers on renewable energy and use energy-efficient technology, which can help companies achieve their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
Considerations for Cloud Migration
While the great majority of organizations are already on the cloud, if you are considering migrating some of your workloads to public cloud, you might want to look at some cloud migration challenges and strategies.
Consider exploring different cloud migration options, such as rehosting or refactoring, to find the best fit for your business objectives. A well-thought-out migration plan will help your organization reap the full benefits of public cloud solutions.
Conclusion
The public cloud is essential for modern businesses, offering benefits that drive growth and innovation. From small startups to larger enterprises, the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cloud solutions allow organizations to adapt quickly to changing demands. Enhanced security protections safeguard essential data, while tools for AI and big data provide valuable insights that help companies stay competitive.
Additionally, the ability to collaborate seamlessly across global teams and the positive impact on sustainability make the public cloud an invaluable asset. As businesses consider migrating to the cloud, a well-thought-out strategy is crucial to maximize these advantages.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with public cloud solutions, book a free consultation with AceCloud today! Let’s explore how we can help you harness the power of the cloud for your organization.
