The Cloud provides computing resources over the Internet as well as many benefits for every company that migrates to the Cloud. Many companies already have migrated to the Cloud and using the advantages to gain a lead over the competitors.
For years, the Cloud has been part of the IT infrastructure of some companies and organisations but during the pandemic and the increased remote working the Cloud usage has continued to grow. Nevertheless it should be kept in mind that the Cloud is more than just remote working!

What does the KPMG Cloud Study (Cloud Monitor 2021) say about future cloud use?

A huge amount of companies are already in the Cloud. About 82% Looking ahead to the near future, 50% suspect they will run about 50% of their applications in the Cloud by 2025. There is still a lot to do before this is achieved and even after that the end of the possibilites has not yet been reached.

What are the advantages for the companies?

Even if the Cloud is more than just remote working this is a big advantage when using the Cloud. In addition, the costs that the company has to bear can be reduced if the peculiarities of the cloud are taken into account when planning the architecture. This sometimes requires good and in-depth knowledge of the cloud technology used and may require external support in designing and implementing the cloud architecture.
But when considering the features and functionalities the Cloud provides it is possible to combine cost efficiency with high scalability and even high-availability. Most Cloud Providers offer computing resources in regions around the world and leave it up to customers to decide where the resources they use should be located.
Most Cloud Providers offer many functions that had to be planned, purchased and integrated into the On-Premises architecture. This includes but is not limited to backup solutions and security functionalities. Of course, the restrictions from above also apply here. The functionalities of the respective cloud environment must be taken into account in the architecture of the migration in order to achieve the best possible result.
Also the shared responsibility can lead to an increased security posture of the company that migrated to the Cloud. The Cloud Provider takes care of many areas that you had to take care of in your On-Premises environment. The Cloud Provider can hire personal with expert knowledge in the specific areas and you can concentrate on those areas for which you are responsible. This will save you time, money and effort in your business by allowing you to focus on the subjects you are good at.

What else? What are the advantages besides the technical things?

Accessing the company ressources from around the world is not only a benefit for the company itself. Employees also see this as very beneficial, as they have the option of working from anywhere in the world rather than sitting in the company office. For some employees, remote working is even a criterion when looking for a new job and they do not consider joining a company that does not offer this remote working.
Last but not least you may want to use the migration to the Cloud as a starting point to begin for some parts of your company from a green field approach. Just let everything behind you that you have done On-Premises and architect using everything that the Cloud provides you. This leads to more success that the lift-and-shift approach even if it may take longer to migrate to the Cloud.

What should I do first when I want to migrate to the Cloud?

Well, it really depends on where you start. If you want to talk about your options, feel free to contact me by mail, LinkedIn, Xing or wherever you want 🙂

Sources

https://www.digitalakademie-bw.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tweed_Corona.png
https://hub.kpmg.de/cloud-monitor-2021
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/shared-responsibility