What Is Cloud Computing?
The cloud is no longer simply a location, it's a collection of connected platforms with uses ranging from improving a single process to enabling a full-scale digital transformation.
Before jumping into cloud computing, assess where your organization stands with resources, data, regulations, and technology so you can plan effectively.
Cloud computing is not a new concept, but its meaning has evolved as cloud's capabilities and usage have expanded. Cloud provides a foundation for companies to reimagine businesses for the digital age. It's at the core of many digital transformation initiatives because cloud includes the capabilities organizations of every size want to achieve: scalability, elasticity, cost efficiency, and room for innovation.
As Elias Khnaser, a VP analyst at Gartner stated, "If you have not developed a cloud-first strategy yet, you are likely falling behind your competitors." Cloud is no longer a competitive differentiator. Considering how ubiquitous cloud has become, the question is no longer should you be leveraging the cloud, but how should you take advantage of it and to what extent?
Cloud has increased the pace of innovation by changing the way organizations design, build, and run the applications that power internal processes and external customer experiences. Additionally, it levels the playing field between the long-established enterprises and nimble new startups, which are now often competing for the same customers' attention.
