Convincing Decision Makers to Adopt Cloud Computing

Rick Delgado feels blessed to have had a successful career in the tech industry and has recently taken a step back to pursue his passion of writing. He's started doing freelance writing where he occasionally works with tech companies like Dell Computers. He enjoys writing about new technologies and how it can help us and our planet.

Convincing superiors to consider new technologies, like cloud computing, can be an awkward and challenging experience. Most organizations are already rooted in their processes, comfortable with how things are going. Some may even have questions about what exactly is cloud computing? There’s no exact formula for how the conversation should go. Depending on the size and culture of your organization, there may be a formal process required, or simply a knock at the door. Either way, the most important thing to remember is to tie the benefits to business objectives. In many cases, executives and leadership aren’t very familiar with the tech industry, and rely heavily on the advice of their IT department. Explaining everything in basic terms built for understanding is the key to success.

Once understanding is reached, you’ll need to prepare solutions. No one likes to hear about problems without any answers. If you’re approaching leadership and executives with new options to consider, you’re going to want to provide some recommendations. Here are a couple of examples of big players in the industry worth investigating as you build your case for the cloud.

Building a Case for Azure

There are a number of different enterprise-level cloud providers available, the most popular being Amazon Web Services. In our gut, we may think most popular means best, but that isn’t always the case. Microsoft is working hard to close the gap with Azure, offering a number of benefits other providers can’t deliver.

One of the first benefits of Azure, as with most cloud providers, is the advantages of pricing over on-premise solutions. By offloading critical functions to the cloud or into virtualized environments, companies can drastically reduce expenses on subscriptions costs, upgrades, and the general IT upkeep to ensure everything is running properly. Most business owners remained oblivious to the year-over-year costs of new hardware, software and labor fees when dealing with on-premise solutions. All of these are avoided with enterprise-level cloud providers, like Azure.

Another of Azure’s major benefits is that it’s based on Windows. Windows runs on over 90 percent of machines, meaning most are familiar with its tools and programming language. This means it’ll be much easier for organizations to find developers who poss the skills to create applications within Azure. In addition, because the Azure environment is so similar to that of Windows, it's much easier to create cloud versions of existing Windows applications.

Microsoft has also built a tool kit with features that make integration even easier. For example, Azure Active Directory, which is a service that lets you easily achieve all your Identity and Access Management needs, has authentication, Software as a Service applications, hybrid tools, and self-service capabilities all ready to go. For developers, that means consistent and easy access to publishing and consuming application interfaces.

Another important cloud feature Microsoft has included is the Azure RemoteApp. People enjoy the cloud because it enables mobility. The RemoteApp allows employees to access applications in the Azure cloud from anywhere, regardless of device. While appearing to run on the user’s local device, applications are centralized on Azure’s protected, reliable platform.

Niche Services for Niche Needs

While Azure meets the needs of most companies, it’s important to be fair and point out other providers that may offer other services more catered to specific organizational needs.

For example, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) discussions are fairly common these days, given the constant innovation of new gadgets. Without a doubt, this is a concept that’s on the minds of many employers. Finding new ways to increase collaboration and allowing employees to work from anywhere is an attractive option. Cloud computing plays an essential role in the BYOD arena. We often discuss what to consider when adopting new devices in the workplace, but skip how to maximize their potential outside of it.

Within the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment is a new service referred to as Desktop as a Service (DaaS). For those unfamiliar with the term, it works like a VDI, except with DaaS, it’s handled by an outside service provider, so IT departments don't have to worry about managing the virtual infrastructure. There are a number of providers that work in this space, like VMware or Citrix, but one of the best would have to be Desktone. Desktone was actually the one to patent DaaS, and partnered with Dell back in 2012 to offer a wider range of cloud computing services. DaaS is perfect for companies looking to implement BYOD and flexible work policies, as it allows employees to remotely access their desktops, including applications, network drives and shared folders, while working from home or on-the-go. DaaS also provides the additional benefits that come with the cloud, like scalability and decreasing overall IT dependance.

Making the Final Sale

The most important thing to remember when trying to communicate the value of the cloud to decision makers is to be specific on how its benefits apply directly to organizational goals and objectives. Cloud providers are incredibly versatile, and offer solutions ranging from data needs to virtualization and collaboration. Picking the right service to meet the right needs will help decision makers recognize the value, and give the green light to move forward. 

What top tips would you give for convincing decision makers to adopt cloud computing? Let us know in the comments section or via @TechNetUK