COVID-19 has changed the world. The global pandemic has swept across the globe in 2020, forcing governments to react in increasingly desperate ways, locking down populations in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. All non-essential travel was brought to a halt, offices were closed, entire sectors put on pause. Almost overnight, the cities of the world became ghost towns.
The economic chaos brought about by this titanic shift in mentality and practice has laid bare the need for greater flexibility and adaptability in the way businesses work. This is particularly true on a day-to-day basis. The shutting of offices meant a monumental increase in remote working, with employees and employers alike needing remote access to databases, files, and other resources, leading to an increasing dependence on cloud computing.
This is not a new trend. As broadband capacities continue to expand beyond their already formidable present-day state, more and more industries are taking advantage of the many benefits offered by cloud computing. The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated this to a degree (
research by Synergy Research Group suggests that cloud spending rose 37% in the first quarter of 2020, to an eye-watering $29bn), but anyone thinking that the cloud is a temporary solution to a temporary problem is going to be disappointed. This is a wave that cannot be stopped, and nor should it.
A dynamic way to reduce costs
The biggest benefit of cloud computing is also the most obvious. By allowing workers to access resources and information, companies are drastically lowering outgoings and overheads, reducing basic running costs, and freeing up much-needed capital for other areas of development. Businesses are no longer burdened with maintenance and management of IT systems and are able to remove expensive hardware from the balance sheet, equipment that almost inevitably requires replacing every few years. The cloud offers a timely and long-lasting solution to these issues.
The financial benefits of cloud computing go beyond immediate technology. Companies no longer need to spend vast amounts of money on hiring experts to run their systems, leaving such tasks in the capable hands of their cloud providers. On-site energy costs are also diminished, and the dynamism and efficiency of cloud computing mean fewer delays and more productivity. Time is money, and cloud migration acts as a metaphorical digital piggy bank.
With businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis and the shutdowns that have accompanied it, cost-cutting measures are a ubiquitous subject of conversation in boardrooms across the world. The financial benefits of cloud migration will be increasingly difficult to ignore.
Continuity and flexibility in arduous times
COVID-19 has brought unprecedented chaos and disruption to businesses, making continuity and flexibility more vital and desired than ever. The cloud offers both and more. While the disease hasn’t threatened data retention and resources in such a direct manner, moving to the cloud has afforded companies an outlet for immediate access to whatever may be required, ensuring a smooth flow of work and progression, during even the most trying of times.
Continuity and flexibility are a magical duo, a combination made consistent by an increased acceptance of cloud technology. Embracing cloud migration has opened doors of productivity that were previously bolted shut. Employees are now able to access work from home, from holiday, from the commute, from anywhere, allowing for greater flexibility in set-up and performance. Organizations are no longer stifled by capacity being chained to the office.
There is no shortage of innovators looking to make their mark in the ever-developing world of cloud technology.
HTEC partner Quinyx is just one example, a Scandinavian market leader in workforce management that has embraced a mobile-first, cloud-based approach allowing companies to streamline scheduling and task management while improving efficiency and general operations. all without needing to step foot in the office.
COVID-19 has introduced a new world of social distancing and stay-at-home living, and cloud migration has ensured that companies don’t find themselves stuck in limbo.
Improving healthcare, saving retail
The healthcare and retail industries have been two of the most heavily-impacted during the 2020 crisis, and cloud technology has allowed one to evolve and the other to survive. This is another trend that had been evolving since before the pandemic (
Adroit Market Research stated that retail investment in the cloud was $11.6bn in 2018 and predicted to rise to $48.47bn within a decade), but the change in living has accelerated it immeasurably.
Cloud technology allows retail businesses to maintain a constant presence in the on-demand world that customers exist in. Innovation is everything, and taking full advantage of big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing means retailers can tailor offers to individual customers, creating a much-needed lifeline during this
most disrupted of financial years.
The benefits of the cloud have also impacted healthcare, providing ample support at a time when doctors and physicians have been overwhelmed. Cloud technology has reduced costs and improved efficiency, making vital data available to clinicians at all times, revolutionizing telemedicine and all the benefits that come with that. Without cloud technology, doctors may have found themselves faced with an even more dire set of circumstances as the COVID-19 virus spread across the globe.
The wave cannot be stopped
The trend towards a greater acceptance of cloud technology has been brewing for a while, but the chaos created by a global pandemic has accelerated this. Cloud computing is now essential technology and will only continue to embed itself in the natural fabric of business, increasing productivity and efficiency across a wide range of industries. Some waves cannot be stopped and neither should they.
HTEC Group is a proven cloud technology partner that can help both envision how enterprise cloud solutions can drive continued growth of your business and implement the digital transformation in an efficient and effective way.
Reach out to learn how we can make your business future-ready!
