As we moved into the second half of 2022, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us. There are some global headwinds—inflation is high and conflict in Ukraine spells uncertainty—but the stage is set for recovery. As businesses seek to rebuild and renew, there is little doubt that cloud-fueled digital transformation will be a key part of the future.

During times of hard lockdown and social distancing, the cloud proved its value. Businesses that had made smarter, earlier investments in the cloud were able to respond rapidly and nimbly to the new environment. Those that were not on the cutting edge of the cloud showed admirable resilience and adaptability in how quickly they geared up for cloud migrations.

Building on the lessons of the pandemic

Now, the next step is for businesses to decide how they will leverage the cloud to accelerate digital transformation. The enthusiasm to build on pandemic lessons to create smarter, more resilient business models will help to fuel massive growth this year. Global cloud infrastructure spending is set to reach $90 billion in 2022, according to IDC. IDC reckons public cloud infrastructure spending will eclipse on-premises spending this year.

One of the major factors driving cloud adoption is that the C-suite no longer sees the cloud only as a technology model. Instead, CEOs and their executive committees are looking at the cloud as a new operating model that helps them to accelerate time to market and innovate in response to changing market conditions and evolving employee and customer expectations.

The cloud is not just a cutting-edge way to simplify IT or a cheaper way to get data center services, but an assured way to improve organisational agility in responding to threats and opportunities. By leveraging new and innovative pre-built features in the cloud, smarter enterprises can rapidly launch new services or products, or enable their employees with powerful, work-from-anywhere tools.

Take advantage of game-changing technologies

Without the cloud, most enterprises will not be able to take advantage of game-changing technologies—such as application programming interface (API)-driven digital ecosystems and artificial intelligence—that will be key in the next wave of digital transformation. They will also struggle to balance the demands of keeping IT spending under control while exploiting it to innovate.

There are three key characteristics of the cloud that make it the smarter IT operating model for the post-COVID enterprise:

• Resilience—In an uncertain world, enterprises are assured that their data and systems are safe when they partner with a reliable cloud provider. They can rapidly access data, apps, and services, even if there’s an emergency that prevents access to their premises.
• Collaboration—We are now operating in a hybrid world, striving to get the best of remote work and in-office contact. The cloud gives employees and enterprises the flexibility to collaborate effectively in a work-from-anywhere world.
• Scalability—With the cloud, businesses can rapidly deploy new services and scale infrastructure up or down in response to changing business needs. This enables them to respond to a volatile market where demand can be unpredictable.

Businesses that accelerate cloud deployment to achieve organisational flexibility and cloud economics will be the winners in the next five years to come. Get in touch to learn how our knowledgeable team can help your organisation simplify cloud operations via cutting-edge DevOps and FinOps capabilities.