As more and more employees realise the benefits of flexible and remote working, the demand for cloud-based solutions is one that employers can’t deny.
Gartner estimates that by the end of 2022, organisations worldwide will have spent $482 billion on public cloud services, such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).
That’s 21.7% more than in 2021.
When businesses realise the benefits of cloud solutions – satisfied staff leads to reduced attrition and higher productivity – overcoming the challenges is well worth the effort, and with the right solution and guidance, it might not be as difficult as they think.
My business needs to safeguard sensitive data and protect against cyberthreats
64% of respondents in a survey conducted by Statista in 2021 said that data loss or leakage was their biggest challenge with cloud computing. 62% stated that data privacy was their second concern and 44% cited compliance as their third.
It’s true that organisations that don’t maintain basic security in the new virtual workplace are placing their data, reputation and employees’ privacy at risk and the usual security architecture that relies on network firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs) to isolate and restrict access to resources cannot be applied to a remote workforce.
But cloud security solutions not only defend against cyberattacks but also provide threat analysis to assist in the review of future security procedures. A virtually managed platform means that security updates can be automatically and easily applied, without interruption to day-to-day activities, remotely or on-premise.
We don’t have enough cash to invest in cloud solutions
A change in working platforms would normally result in significant outlays for hardware and training. The very nature of cloud solutions means that there is no upfront hardware investment required.
Cloud solutions are flexible enough to be tailored to today’s increasingly complicated organisational structures and as such, you’ll only ever pay for what you need. In fact, the easy scalability of cloud-based solutions mean that they will withstand business growth (or reduction) and mergers which may well render hardware redundant.
Microsoft Modern Workplace cloud solutions can be as much as 5x cheaper than the market competition.
What if we lack the in-house expertise?
IT roles account for 15 out of 20 of the top salary increases in the last year, so retaining an in-house IT expert can be a huge part of a business’ overheads. Many organisations fear that they haven’t got or cannot afford the required skill to implement and/or move assets to a cloud-based solution.
Finding the right cloud service provider means matching the business to the right level of support needed to ensure that all cloud-based applications are installed, managed and performing at an optimal level, whether or not they have the in-house capabilities.
Tech Data’s 4S – Solutions, Services, Support and Skills – underpins our approach to enabling and activating partners. Rely on our extensive ecosystem knowledge so you can deliver a holistic service to end customers, without needing in-depth and in-house expertise for each solution.
Tech Data’s Solutions Factory and a team of development engineers created 35+ C2R Solutions from Secure Score or AVD to 3rd party solutions like Veeam, Veritas. These ready-to-use and ready-to-deploy solutions help engineers to save time by automating a large portion of the manual work environment for example.
Won’t hybrid working reduce performance?
For some, working in an environment away from the office promotes mental health and often encourages creativity. As we’ve already seen in our blog post discussing readiness for hybrid working, 77% of high-growth companies have registered better productivity since going hybrid.
As long as the correct tools are available for employees to securely access, share and collaborate on assets, staying in touch isn’t an issue, and indeed, the ability to simultaneously work alongside cohorts all over the world often increases the speed and quality of delivery.
Can the cloud provide end-to-end security solutions for a hybrid workforce?
To complete their jobs effectively, a remote workforce needs fast, secure, and reliable access to relevant assets. However, this access needs to be balanced with the requirements of privacy regulations, such as GDPR, and the threat of security breaches and downtime that cost money and negatively impact a business’ reputation.
To cover all angles, a cloud solution must include access controls like single sign on (SSO), multifactor authentication, and Zero Trust access for sensitive resources. Implemented correctly, these safeguards will effectively protect a business and its assets without impeding an employee’s performance.
To deal with what is undoubtedly the main cloud-based solution challenge of security, Microsoft Modern Workplace tools take an always-on approach, automatically applying updates and multifactor authentication (MFA) to all devices wherever they may be.
Gartner research estimated that cloud security was the fastest growing security-market segment 2020-21, expanding 41.2% year-over-year to reach $841 million.
All cloud solution resellers are currently expanding their portfolio to match this demand and include cloud solutions that will both facilitate Modern Workplace processes and protect businesses from cyberthreats and the downfalls of legislation compliance.
The Microsoft Partner Network provides resources, programs, and tools that empower partners to capture those opportunities throughout our thriving ecosystem and across the globe. Our huge range of on-premise and cloud-based productivity and security solutions are compatible with most existing platforms, offering the flexibility to choose the right mix for each customer.
Microsoft uses leading security research to help you protect businesses while staying flexible enough to take advantage of unexpected technological developments. As a Microsoft partner, this is how you’ll gain the upper hand you need to stay competitive in your market.