Johannesburg, 26 Aug 2013
Cloud computing is changing the way businesses and individuals access technology. As broadband availability increases and data costs come down, the expansion and adoption of the cloud as an integral part of information services delivery will continue to be one of the most important developments in the evolution of the ICT market. Much has already been said, and much more will continue to be aired, over the coming weeks and months regarding this topic, and undoubtedly, it will bring many benefits; however, many organisations move to the cloud without being aware of all the options available to them, and as a result, miss out on even greater opportunities.
"Many companies that move to the cloud are not making the most of the potential benefits that the cloud can offer," commented Edge Bisset, CEO of CyberLogic, "because simply moving existing systems onto the cloud only has operational benefits and is not in itself a game changer. Generic off-the-shelf cloud offerings can therefore only offer limited value.
"However, a customised cloud implementation can go beyond those operational benefits and can have real strategic advantages," continued Bisset. "A customised cloud solution allows the company to mine existing data, to present it to clients and partners in new ways - in the any format - and with appropriate security in place. It also creates new touch points and communication channels with clients and partners that enable the company to tighten the relationships with its customers and suppliers. In this way, a tailored cloud solution can enable the company to:
* generate new revenue streams;
* add extra value to clients by giving them easy access to data they had to manually request before;
* automate manual functions;
* allow clients to 'self-service', thereby reducing the internal workload;
* extend the available service hours to a 24/7 basis, thus allowing clients to access their data or transact at any time; and,
* differentiate itself in the market.
These are the real and strategic benefits, which add value far beyond just duplicating the existing systems in the cloud.
"Not surprisingly, this requires a tailored approach, ie one that is customised to the client's requirements; it's not about buying a cloud 'product', but about understanding ways in which cloud technology can be applied to extract hidden value within the company," concluded Bisset. "Very often, clients don't realise the value of the data they have at their disposal. A solid understanding of cloud technology, along with an insight into the company's business model and data sources, is the key to unlocking this hidden value. To achieve that, it's important to have a specialist partner with experience in the design, implementation and management of private and hybrid cloud models. It is also important that the cloud strategy is driven by business, along with IT; ie it is not an 'IT' project, but a business project with IT as a key enabler. The cloud partner needs to clearly understand that, and be able to participate in that process accordingly. That is what CyberLogic is all about."
For further information, please contact CyberLogic at tel. (021) 425 4200 or via www.cyberlogic.co.za.
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