The cloud suffers from a branding problem. Using the image of a fluffy white marshmallow floating in the sky to describe the process of storing data and applications off-premises makes a certain amount of sense. But a cloud also conjures images of being vulnerable – which couldn’t be further from the truth.
The cloud may not be a symbol of strength and security, but that’s exactly what it offers users. Relying on cloud technologies makes companies more resilient than they would be with the exact same technology housed on-premises. That’s important to acknowledge for current and future cloud users alike because resilience is arguably the most important quality a business (from startup to global corp) can have. Anytime really. But especially now.
What is Resilience and Why Does it Matter?
Companies would like to be immune to disruption, but that’s impossible. Recent events, from a global pandemic to cyber attacks, have proven that anything can happen. No company is totally immune. No company is totally secure. They can plan and prepare endlessly (and who does that?) but yet still fall victim to events they never saw coming and couldn’t have stopped.
Resiliency operates from the perspective that disruptions are inevitable. Therefore, recovery is more important than immunity. When the unexpected happens, resilient companies manage to minimize the fallout, sustain more of their operations, and get back to normal faster. Said differently, these companies stumble without falling.
Surveying the timeline of 2020 thus far, it’s clear why resilience matters so much right now. No one knows what’s coming next, yet resilient companies are still prepared.
Stay Above the Fray in the Cloud
The cloud makes a company resilient in a number of ways. When their office gets hit by a strong storm, they can access cloud-based data and applications from any computer with an internet connection. If the whole office starts working remotely, the cloud makes critical IT available inside people’s homes. Even if every physical asset the company owns gets destroyed somehow, a company can still recover because everything essential (customer data, financial records, mission-critical applications) lives safely in the cloud.
In addition to aiding the recovery effort, the cloud protects companies against disruption even if it doesn’t make them entirely immune. Since cloud providers take responsibility for securing the environment, installing patches and updates, and staying ahead of emerging cyber threats, cloud users face fewer risks overall.
By the end of this year, more than 80% of all enterprise workloads will take place in the cloud. Companies are migrating there as fast as possible because they view cloud technologies as superior to the alternatives in terms of cost, convenience, and compatibility. But those companies are also becoming more resilient by migrating – laying a foundation for sustained success no matter what the future holds.
The case for cloud migration has never been stronger. Explore how it fits into your finance and accounting function by contacting the cloud specialists at Edward Thomas Associates.