According to recent figures, 26% of enterprise-level businesses are now spending a huge $6m or more on public cloud computing services every single year. For those who aren’t wholly familiar with the impact of the cloud and how it’s changing the way that many industries work, this might be a shocking statistic – but it reveals just how in demand this innovative and profit-boosting technology actually is.
Cloud tech is revolutionizing the way that firms interact with their customers, manage their employees, monitor their supply chains, and much more. This article will explore three different industries, each of which plays a different role in the US economy. It will explore why and how these industries are changing – for the better – thanks to the cloud and its role.
The IT industry
Perhaps the most logical place to start when looking at the impact of cloud technology, then, is the industry in which the cloud itself was born. The IT industry certainly practices what it preaches when it comes to cloud computing, and many companies and IT functions use it to their full advantage. The key way that the IT industry has changed thanks to the cloud is when it comes to creating agile, nimble businesses that can respond well to changes in circumstances.
Take the example of software: much of the work of the IT industry is powered by software packages, and everything from user management to network creation is done through software. More broadly, in many organizations, the installation of functions such as productivity software is the job of IT. Previously, IT technicians and network administrators would have been tied into long contracts or licenses to pay for this software. Thanks to cloud consumption-based pricing models, however, this is no longer the case – meaning that costs are often lower, and flexibility is built-in.
The construction industry
To many people, the construction industry may seem the least likely place in which you might find cloud computing. What use, some would say, does a flexible, internet-based computing network have for a building site? The answer is that there are lots of possible uses for cloud computing in this sort of environment.
Cloud-based team collaboration tools are becoming increasingly popular in construction. When a building project begins, it’s likely that members of the team are distributed over a range of locations: administration assistants may be based in an office, for example, while builders may be on site – and project managers, meanwhile, are often on the road roving between sites. Traditional communication methods such as telephones aren’t always reliable in environments where wires are regularly ripped up. However, cloud-based messaging tools mean that collaboration can occur from a tablet or mobile phone, and handy in-built document-sharing functions mean that project schedules and site plans can be transferred in seconds. It’s also possible for management to use cloud technology to remotely supervise workers and monitor progress, which in turn keeps projects on track and reduces the risk of costly project overruns.
The media industry
While the media industry itself is large, the companies within it all perform highly specific and pinpointed activities. For these companies, the cloud comes into its own when it can deliver tailored services – and they often get the most value from cloud providers that cater to their specific sector needs. Infor, the company run by Charles Phillips, provides sector-specific enterprise solutions rather than general ones – and it’s easy to see why demand for such services exists.
Some media clients, for example, may have a large repository of film files. A standard cloud-based file-sharing service isn’t likely to be enough here: if the company’s business model involves selling access to these files through a business model such as streaming, then a more user-friendly cloud network with secure access points will be needed. Media firms often require high download speeds too – otherwise, the enjoyment of film or audio can be limited for the end user – and therefore a bespoke server space solution will often be required. A sector-specific cloud platform is able to cater to these exact needs.
It’s clear: the cloud is now an important part of the computing systems and networks of many firms. From IT to construction, there’s barely an industry that has been left untouched by the cloud’s inexorable march to dominance. And with cloud pioneers working on lots of exciting updates to their services, firms that have jumped on the cloud bandwagon aren’t going to be disappointed in the months and years to come.
Editor-in-Chief | Seat42F, a leading source of entertainment news, information, television and movie resources.
