Cloud in modern business

Today, the cloud is not a novelty—it is a must-have regardless of the size of the company or industry.

If you don’t want to be left behind by the competition, you simply must invest in the cloud. To do this wisely, it’s worth knowing the trends that dominate the market in this area. What cloud computing usage model is employed by large and medium-sized companies? What do companies expect from cloud solutions today? Today, we want to share with you the answers to these and a few other questions.

• The absolute majority of large and medium-sized enterprises operate in a hybrid model—they locate their resources both in the cloud and on-premises. This work system is particularly popular in commerce—nearly 92% of those surveyed indicated this. 
• Over 8% of companies declare that they are considering the implementation of cloud solutions in their plans. Moving the entire business to the cloud is confirmed by 3.3% of enterprises. 
• Nearly 14% of large enterprises and 6% of medium-sized ones store all their resources on-premises, while declaring that they are currently considering the implementation of cloud solutions in their companies. However, it should be assumed that at least in the initial phase of migration, they will operate in a hybrid model. 
• Companies from the manufacturing sector have decided to move all data to the cloud computing environment. These are also mostly large companies whose annual turnover exceeds 250 million PLN. 

The modern world and the era of cutting-edge technologies present us with numerous challenges. Many of these challenges are new to us, or they were so marginal in the past that they did not significantly impact our business or personal environments. Approaching these challenges in a standard way often does not provide a solution, as they tend to be inflexible. This is precisely why it is necessary to reach for more unconventional solutions, such as hybrid cloud. 

 

Indeed, the hybrid model often represents the first step towards cloud computing. While cloud computing services are often the first choice for newly established organizations, their implementation poses a significant challenge for companies with a longer history. These companies already have their IT infrastructure, which has often been developed over many years, and the implementation of cloud technologies is usually driven by the need to replace outdated or worn-out equipment, a lack of sufficient IT resources, or the need to adopt new technologies that may only be available in an As a Service model. In such cases, finding the right business partner who can approach the issue comprehensively and not only carry out the cloud migration process but also propose the best solutions and advise on which ones to choose is particularly crucial. 

Among the benefits of using the cloud in a company, the majority of respondents point to flexibility and scalability, which guarantee them the most optimal use of resources and improve operational efficiency. Nearly 87% of large and medium-sized companies appreciate that this solution makes it easier to adjust their needs for space and computing power in the cloud. As a result, they can respond more quickly and effectively to changing business needs. Cloud computing facilitates process streamlining. Its application gives companies the ability to use tools for business process automation, integration, or APIs. Over 72% of companies report faster and more cohesive operations thanks to the use of cloud solutions. 

 

Up to two-thirds of the surveyed enterprises notice an improvement in productivity. Continuous access to data and applications in the cloud guarantees greater flexibility and efficiency. Managers appreciate the improvement in team collaboration, remote control, and the ability to use various devices. One of the benefits mentioned is also transferring part of the responsibility to an external entity that cares about the cloud’s operations and security. Thanks to this, companies can relieve themselves of the burden of technological responsibility and focus on what is really important to them – the development of their business. 

 

However, a negative finding from the study conducted by Keralla Research on behalf of Euvic is that as many as 31% of medium-sized enterprises disagree with the statement that cloud computing guarantees a higher level of data security and protection against cyberattacks. The issue of data security is much better rated by the largest of the surveyed companies: 36% of them acknowledge that the cloud protects data and helps combat cyberattacks. A different position is presented by nearly 17% of giants. These data show that there is still much to be done in this area. 

Although opinions on the benefits of using the cloud are somewhat divided, it is essential to remember that this is an area that can no longer be ignored today. 

To those still unconvinced, we suggest taking a closer look at Azure solutions – they are a real game-changer.

Regardless of a company’s size, technological advancements have thrust every business into a global environment. Thinking otherwise is a direct path to disaster. It was once hard to imagine that a taxi driver, operating within a single city, would face competition from across the ocean through a mobile app that enables anyone to offer such services. Yet, this was the humble beginning of Uber, which overnight turned the market on its head. 

 

The globalization of solutions has also resulted in the globalization of cyber threats. Today, ransomware attacks are carried out on a massive scale, targeting even small local businesses. Individual defense against such threats can be difficult and economically unjustifiable. Therefore, a company’s data storage security largely depends on the proper use of cloud computing capabilities provided by global players. However, it’s important to remember that while cloud infrastructure is secure, it is not in itself a guarantee of complete protection. If we supplement it with security components functionally similar to those used in an on-premise environment, such as firewalls, we significantly increase the chances of protecting data from attacks.

 

Companies participating in our survey understand this well – over half of them indicated that they plan to invest in this technology segment within the next 12 months. Significantly, it’s the largest entities, with revenues over 250 million PLN, who are more likely to make such investments. However, the level of awareness that such solutions can offer greater security and data protection against cyberattacks is somewhat surprising. Only 4 out of 10 surveyed companies agreed with this statement, and 30% were undecided. One in five companies disagreed. Interestingly, representatives of medium-sized businesses are more skeptical about the value of cloud-based cybersecurity solutions. 31% of them had a negative view, compared to only 16% among the largest firms. Yet, it’s the smaller companies that face higher per-unit costs if they were to create their own data security solutions independently. For them, leveraging cloud solutions could be much more efficient. The only explanation for this stance seems to be a lack of concern about cyberattacks among medium-sized firms, though this is a dangerous and false sense of security. It’s worth noting that cybercriminals globally are now targeting smaller companies, recognizing their vulnerabilities and seeing that the largest enterprises are increasingly able to protect themselves. 

 

Looking at companies’ assessments of the cloud’s effects, it’s also important to consider responses regarding the overall cost-effectiveness of such solutions. Here, it’s the largest companies that often don’t see such benefits – 44% of surveyed businesses with revenues over 250 million PLN disagreed with this statement, compared to 24% in the medium-sized business category. This might be due to their earlier experiences, as larger firms were “moving to the cloud” when the prices of offered solutions were higher than they are now. Therefore, when speaking with our clients, we usually recommend conducting a professional review of the technologies used or active licenses to reduce costs and choose newer, more effective solutions. The market is changing rapidly. From experience, we know that such audits can generate significant savings, especially in the largest companies. 

 

Wojciech Wrzesień, Director of Cybersecurity Department
EUVIC SOLUTIONS

The conclusions are clear – cloud computing not only accelerates and streamlines company operations but also becomes a key tool in providing flexibility, scalability, and data security. Enterprises that recognize its potential in time will undoubtedly outpace their competition, not by one, but several steps.