The Internet of Services is the new ecosystem that revolutionizes how businesses operate. One of the key pillars driving this trend is cloud solutions.
The cloud is a platform or infrastructure to develop, deliver, and run applications and services over the internet. It offers a range of advantages over traditional software delivery.
As cloud technologies become more mainstream and organizations adopt them, sustainability takes center stage. The tech industry is not without its fair share of responsibility for the growing negative impacts of climate change, and it is becoming increasingly important for tech companies to be more proactive in their approach to sustainability.
Role of Cloud in Driving Sustainable Business
Cloud services and platforms make it easy to support sustainability and achieve business goals. In particular, cloud-based platforms help businesses reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve their production skills. These traits truly help businesses become greener and more profitable at the same time.
A new study published recently found that moving from on-premise data centers to public cloud usage can reduce energy usage by up to 65% and carbon emissions by as much as 84%. Another study shows that organizations that stay dedicated to the cloud by using it for innovation instead of simply using it as a tool for migration are up to three times more likely to use cloud solutions for sustainability goals.
Organizations can reduce their energy consumption by performing green IT initiatives such as implementing green energy sources, energy-efficient infrastructure, server configuration changes for a lower energy footprint, and so on. These would ultimately lead to 2.7x more cost savings than organizations that stop at migration.
Cloud Boosts Speed, Agility, And Scales Up Businesses
Adopting new technology to gain a competitive advantage is a hallmark of great business, and one way to stay competitive today is by taking advantage of cloud-based services which can be done in different ways.
For instance, data can be used to generate exponential value by reinventing your business model and driving new levels of value through your partner ecosystem. Before taking steps in this direction, a company should first cultivate a “data-strong” environment in a cloud ecosystem where customers, suppliers, and employees can operate with data at their fingertips.
Modernizing your data foundation and running it on the cloud will propel you towards a prosperous and sustainable future for your business.
Going Green with Cloud for Fat Bottom Lines
During the journey to migrate to the cloud, it’s important to select a carbon-conscious vendor that aligns with your values. Migrating to the cloud can significantly lower overall energy consumption and carbon emissions, but things like sustainable software development practices can also make a big difference. Choosing the right coding language for cloud applications alone can reduce energy consumption by up to 50 times.
Further customization is possible by taking full advantage of cloud computing, higher asset utilization rates, and dynamic allocation of resources. It’s important for CIOs to consider sustainability as an outcome when optimizing software because counter-intuitively, shifting focus away from performance and cost reduction can actually be beneficial for cost reduction. When it comes to reducing IT emissions, it’s important to approach your endeavours from a sustainable angle – one that is mindful of the long term while enabling you to grow as a business.
Increased consumer and stakeholder pressure, coupled with an increased focus on environmental sustainability within businesses means that it is now up to a company’s CIO to adopt more sustainable approaches to cloud computing in order to help them enhance both financial performance while simultaneously fulfilling their sustainable mandates.
Summary
Leading companies rely heavily on cloud-based technologies to help them innovate and grow their business exponentially. They view the cloud as a continuum of technologies, choose the right type of cloud services most suitable for their business needs and then implement advanced practices for using those technologies.
For achieving greater financial, societal, and environmental benefits, companies with the zest to innovate with cloud solutions will be best prepared to increase revenues.
Teaming with a cloud service provider with the knowledge and resources necessary to assist your business in reaching its full potential is paramount when it comes to succeeding in today’s competitive environment.
