Cloud adoption is now a question of when rather than if for most organisations. However, many risk missing out on the full benefits of as-a-service IT by failing to develop the skills required to exploit the advantages of moving their digital technology off-premise.
Management consultancy McKinsey & Company forecasts businesses can generate up to $1 trillion in added value by 2030 due to the potential of cloud to deliver additional speed, productivity, flexibility, scale and innovation, but only if they put the right measures in place. “Cloud offers tremendous value, but the benefits don’t appear magically,” says McKinsey.
One key element of this for successful organisations is developing a deep understanding of the fundamental shift from IT as a product, whether hardware or software, which is bought and often adapted, to IT consumed off the peg on a pay-as-you-go basis. This requires a transfer in mindset from pure technology to a greater focus on business outcomes.