Choosing the Right Cloud Strategy

Should adopting a cloud-based IT service or platform be your next step in your cloud-first approach? 

Many businesses today are embarking on a cloud native journey to scale their business. If you are a business leader overseeing the transformation, you'll probably go cloud native at some point, aiming to build the next-generation cloud platform running modern applications.

In our first newsletter, we discussed how businesses can bring new ideas to market faster by using a cloud native platform to build and run applications. These apps are typically hosted on private, hybrid, or public cloud platforms, in collaboration with leading virtualisation technologies and cloud service providers. 

So how do you begin your cloud native journey? How do you transition from the current monoliths to a cloud-enabled, microservices and container-based world?

Accelerating the move of workloads to the private or public cloud is key for businesses to deal with rising costs and avoid recessions. However, cloud adoption and migration are not a one-size-fits-all process. The business case depends on both cost savings and benefits to strategy and operations.

Some of the questions you should ask yourself before taking the next step.

1. What is the best strategy for moving to the cloud?
2. How will it improve and scale my business?
3. Which teams must be involved or have the right resources to support?
4. How flexible is the cloud service platform or provider?
5. What is the pricing structure and which cloud platform cost more
6. What security measures to consider?
7. Where will my data be stored, and who has access?

But first, let’s dissect the type of cloud and cloud service. 

Cloud Platform

There are four types of cloud computing models or platforms to adopt cloud services.

1. Private cloud: Private cloud is used when a business builds its own cloud services or a third party does so. Private clouds are on-premise or privately hosted and give users more security control, making it easier to meet business-specific IT needs. The organisation however covers the cost of running and maintaining the platform. 
2. Public cloud: A third-party cloud service provider owns, manages, and operates a public cloud. MS Azure, GCP, and AWS are all public clouds that provide excellent security, but they're often insufficient to protect your data. 
3. Hybrid cloud: A mix of both public cloud and private cloud platforms. Applications and data are effortlessly transferred between the two. As a result, the organisation's infrastructure, security, and compliance are improved and given more flexibility.
4. Multi-cloud: Uses many public clouds to house data, rather than private and public clouds. Using private clouds is optional in a multi-cloud system. This platform is used when a business has many cloud needs that one provider can't meet.

Cloud Service

There are 4 common types of cloud services or strategies to tackle any challenges that a cloud service provider can deliver. These services help overcome challenges that are currently lowering the performance of business architecture.

1. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Provides outsourced IT infrastructure to support various operations and functionality.
2. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Provides an environment or platform that encourages developers to build applications over the internet.
3. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Providing services and solutions via the internet. This service removes the need to install the application on our desktop and carry it out virtually.
4. Serverless computing: It expands on PaaS by providing extra services to manage infrastructure and services such as capacity, set-up, and server maintenance. Google App Engine, AWS Lambda, and MS Azure Functions are a few examples.

So choosing the best cloud services and selecting a cloud platform doesn't have to be complicated. You can find a cloud provider that meets your exact business needs with the correct guidance and approach.

Why should you choose a cloud service platform?

Businesses have been forced to become more flexible and agile due to rising competition and consumer demand. Cloud platforms have aided in fostering innovation and generating cost savings. Some of the common benefits are:

• Flexible and efficient in  IT infrastructure, from auto-updates to multi-device access.
• Disaster recovery.
• Loss prevention, backup, and minimal downtime in case of data loss.
• Unlimited storage capacity. 
• Quick deployment and development of building new infrastructure.

Why is adopting a cloud native strategy important?

In today's digital economy, businesses that want to improve security, performance, and the ability to deliver products faster are using a suitable cloud service regularly. The reason is to benefit from the distributed computing capabilities provided by the cloud delivery models. Apps that are cloud native are created to take advantage of the size, elasticity, resilience, and flexibility the cloud offers.

Conclusion

One of the most common reasons why adopting a cloud service could fail is a lack of planning: knowing what the business needs, the pros and cons of different cloud service providers, and having the experience to build for the cloud today. With the help of a trustworthy partner, you can solve many of these common cloud failure issues.

Codification can help you find the best cloud service provider for your needs, whether it's part of a cloud native transformation or to get your new business off to a good start. Codification has the expertise that knows how cloud technology works and can help you design and build efficient, flexible, scalable, secure solutions and save costs.

Interested?

Contact us to choose the right cloud service provider and technology for your cloud native journey.