6 Ways the Cloud Is Changing the Tech Industry

The cloud is one of the most game-changing evolutions in the technology of the early twenty-first century. Since it allows your data to be stored online and accessed from virtually anywhere, there are plenty of applications for the technology. Here are six ways the cloud is changing the tech industry.

1. Scalability

The cloud vastly improves the abilities of tech businesses to scale their operations quickly and smoothly. It can accommodate unexpected network surges as easily as it can scheduled operations changes and expansions. In part, this is due to the ability of cloud services to integrate many systems and tools that would have been siloed in traditional on-premise software. However, it is also thanks to the increased agility and processing power of wireless networking tools, such as 5G. For example, a business using a 5G core network can leverage that network to scale its operations and systems entirely within the cloud.

2. Innovation

With the cloud, you can automate much of your data entry, storage and analysis, as well as other workflows such as scheduling. This means your business’s performance will be optimized and more of your resources can be freed up to work on innovation and other creative projects instead of performing repetitive tasks. The tech industry, in particular, can benefit from an increased focus on innovation, using the resources made available by cloud computing to improve current products, develop new products and improve customer support and service.

3. Data Management

One of the core uses of the cloud from day one has been improving and streamlining data management. The cloud offers much higher storage capabilities than on-premise options do, and data management can be automated much more easily and thoroughly in the cloud than it can be with on-premise software as well. Many tech companies are leveraging cloud computing to improve and automate the processes of collecting, entering, organizing and analyzing data. With the cloud, they can customize their software solutions to include artificial intelligence programs that sort data, develop data analytics programs and help employees find relevant data more quickly.

4. Security

With improvements in data management must come improvements in security. Using the cloud means basing your operations online, rather than in on-premise hardware and software. This can open your business to higher cybersecurity risks if you don’t take precautions. However, cloud systems have several mechanisms in place to mitigate these risks. Most cloud computing is encrypted and requires zero-trust verification. As long as you use these in conjunction with traditional cybersecurity, such as firewalls and employee education, your technology should be adequately secured. Any time you add a new tool or scale up your cloud systems, be sure to conduct a full security review and update your security frequently.

5. Hybrid Data

The cloud is not the only hosting option for your data. In fact, many industries and individual businesses rely on a hybrid model, with their automated and connective processes hosted on the cloud and their other applications still hosted on-premise. The cloud is particularly well-suited for supporting the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence programs, as well as hosting next-generation applications as a way to transition entirely from on-premise software. The hybrid system allows businesses to transition to full-cloud capabilities more seamlessly and with less system downtime.

6. Remote and Self-service Applications

Increasingly, the tech industry is leaning toward remote and self-service applications, for both employees and customers. Some tech businesses offer hybrid services, where you can access services and make purchases either in-person at a store or online via e-commerce. Others have switched to online-only business models. Either way, the cloud is integral to supporting increased web traffic. Employees can use cloud computing to ensure customers experience smooth user experiences, update systems seamlessly and maintain web portal accessibility and speed even when a network server is full.

The cloud is an ever-evolving tool and these are just a few of its uses in the tech industry. Different businesses and industries will have different uses for their cloud computing technologies, and there may be some applications for this tool that haven’t even been thought of yet.