6 key areas of focus in cloud computing for 2021

Often, that way is the cloud. But cloud technology is constantly evolving – especially now, as businesses move so quickly to adjust their data management strategies on the fly. What are the industry best practices? How do they look differently now than they did a year ago, or three years ago, or five?

These are key questions. And if you look carefully, you can find answers. For example: Gartner, in its recent report entitled “Cloud and Edge Infrastructure Primer for 2021,” laid out a detailed roadmap for how organizations should approach cloud computing this year and beyond. It’s incumbent upon IT leaders, Gartner argued, to extend their focus beyond traditional data centers this year and embrace agile infrastructure elements such as the cloud and edge computing. Making such investments will fuel innovation for the business down the road.

Many organizations are successfully implementing the cloud to increase the pace of innovation and drive new business. There are still some challenges ahead, however. IT needs to deliver a cloud strategy that aligns with the needs of other business leaders, including those in finance, marketing, sales, and more. They also need to design and deploy infrastructures that are automated, secure, resilient, and empower people to work from everywhere. It’s a lot to ask.

In particular, here are six key areas of focus for IT leaders as they evaluate their cloud futures.

• Big-picture strategy: What’s the long-term plan for implementing cloud technology? How does it align with the goals of everyone else in the business? Does every step on the roadmap look realistic and achievable?
• Deploying IaaS and PaaS: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) have both become popular in recent years as efficient and scalable ways to build an IT strategy. To what extent will your business rely on them?
• Edge computing: In many situations, it’s beneficial for companies to tap into the collection, analysis, and use of data at the edge. Now may be a good time to identify business partners who can help with that.
• An IoT infrastructure: Is your organization taking full advantage of the Internet of Things (IoT)? With the right infrastructure to facilitate connectivity and collaboration, you may be able to do more.
• Enterprise connectivity: Along similar lines, you can always make improvements when it comes to connectivity. Identifying new technologies to optimize your IT infrastructure may help your business take steps forward.
• Testing new network applications: Relatively new networking technologies such as DNS, content delivery networks, and improved app delivery are all gaining in prominence this year. IT should consider exploring these options if possible.

For all of these strategic initiatives, Zones is here, ready to work with you as a strategic partner as you navigate your cloud future. We’re eager to visit with your business, size up your IT environment, and demonstrate for you how our cloud solution offerings can drive growth, innovation, and ultimately success for your business. All you have to do is reach out, and we can begin that process.

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