Marissa Tejada| Midsizeinsider
Cloud computing gives a competitive advantage that leads to increased profits. This finding was the fruit of a new study by IBM that found early cloud adopters are continuing to build several competitive advantages over companies that are still cautious of the technology.
Adapt to Change
The survey, recently featured in ComputerWeekly, found that more than 40 percent of IT professionals interviewed had experienced increased efficiency through use of the cloud and that it has helped businesses to adapt to changes in the market and to target new customers. Firms that implemented the cloud for big data analytics, collaboration and customer relationship management (CRM) doubled their revenues as a result.
Additionally, the survey found that robust cloud adopters are 117 percent more likely to use the cloud to make better, data-driven business decisions. More than 65 percent of cloud users strengthen their IT and lines of business by using it to apply mobile, social, analytics and big data technologies. More than half the companies utilizing the cloud concluded that their information infrastructures improved because the technology enabled them to have access to data and knowledge without the headaches of capacity constraints. In the end, they had the power to build up their revenue streams and to target new markets.
Midsize Aims
The IBM study pointed out three traits that the companies gained through the cloud that are of special interest to midsize firms: strategic reinvention, better decisions and deeper collaboration. At midsize firms, cloud computing can be applied to various areas of a business, from big data analytics to mobile solutions, to achieve those business goals.
The fact remains, however, that midsize firms are tight on money, time and resources. Security and the need to safeguard corporate data are also concerns and remain a big reason why many midsize firms are hesitant to migrate to the cloud. Another reason is complexity, an issue that IT professionals cannot afford to take on. According to the survey, more than half of adopters experienced complexity when migrating to the cloud. Even so, the cloud’s benefits are game-changing if it is correctly implemented. Midsize firms can reduce complexity and guarantee better security by working with vendors that understand their hardware and software needs in combination with their business goals to ensure that the implementation gets off to a good start. Different clouds work for different firms, including open source cloud platforms, hybrid clouds and more.
The Cloud Advantage
Midsize firms have tight resources, so every IT investment counts. The cloud has been proven to propel companies to another level of business by increasing revenues and productivity. By working with trusted cloud computing vendors that understand the needs of midsize firms, IT professionals can transform their information infrastructures in the most efficient, scalable and secure way possible.
