Cloud computing, the world is moving towards the "cloud"

For those companies that use cloud computing for service transmission, the operating efficiency and flexibility of cloud computing are greatly improved. Since the adoption of cloud computing, many companies have reduced their IT costs by about 30%. In addition, the entry barrier for cloud providers has ended. In the future, even traditional companies that focus on commodity business can improve efficiency by adjusting the flexibility of cloud computing.

Cloud computing: the choice of 62% American companies

? The entry barrier for cloud providers has ended.

? EaaS: Everything is service.

If you are a technician, you may have heard of cloud computing-it seems that there is not a day when it does not appear in mainstream media or advertisements! You may also use cloud services, such as iCloud, Dropbox, Carbonite；; Or maybe the company you are dealing with is using cloud technology in some way. Nowadays, in the global business environment, cloud computing is hot. At the same time, it is also a typical example of the extreme commercialization of services and infrastructure in the global market. However, this phenomenon is not only manifested in information processing ability.

Examples of commercialization can be found everywhere, from computer computing and network infrastructure to common business processes such as human resources, accounting, CRM systems and logistics. In fact, most business processes tend to be unipolar. If your company can't be unique in a certain business process, then this business should be outsourced, or its cost should be minimized, and at the same time, how to realize its maximum benefit or make it have maximum flexibility should be considered. This trend has led to the outsourcing industry of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the industry will continue to develop at a double-digit annual growth rate.

Interestingly, this trend depends largely on mature information technology, especially Internet technology. Because the data generated by business processes is immediately available, companies can maintain some control over the process while outsourcing. In fact, this kind of supervision is very important, because even if outsourced, the business director is still responsible for those processes.

To some extent, the idea of developing cloud computing services is almost an afterthought. Most users who need to use computer power realize that they can obtain large-scale economic benefits by purchasing and increasing computing power. The main "players" in this market are Amazon, Google and Microsoft. These companies have purchased a lot of computing power in history to realize the operation of their core business. Even financial geniuses can't tell which companies have the ability to buy excess computing power and resell it to other companies in need.

There are two main drivers behind the adoption of cloud computing by enterprises. First of all, cloud computing greatly improves the utilization rate of IT resources and will greatly reduce operating costs. In 20 13, an analysis by the University of Manchester estimated that enterprises adopting cloud computing reduced their IT costs by 26% on average. In view of the fact that the continuous accelerated growth of information will continue to promote the growth of IT demand, this saving in operating costs is not a small sum, so it cannot be ignored. The second driving force for adopting cloud computing is that most cloud solutions have strong operability and flexibility.

If your company suddenly needs more computing power, then you just need to sign a contract with the cloud provider and ask them to provide more computing power. For example, cloud services provided by big manufacturers such as Amazon and Microsoft have huge infrastructure support. Therefore, consumers who want to buy cloud solutions can order hundreds, thousands or even more servers without worrying that suppliers can't meet their growing demand.

However, cloud services can also have some interesting side effects. First, cloud services have effectively enhanced the security and reliability of many consumer data. 20 10 senior information security experts have been in short supply. Of course, most companies will also hire some such talents, but they are not the best trained or the most qualified. For cloud providers, security is more important than anything else in order to conduct business, so they do not hesitate to invest heavily in the safest people, processes and technologies. Because of this, most cloud providers have more reliable information security facilities than large enterprises. Being a consumer of these service providers is equivalent to a security investment, and you will get additional benefits, that is, the whole team will protect your data security.

In the final analysis, whether it is a cost-effective commodity-based company or a value-based company that pursues maximum flexibility, cloud computing can provide great support for the core operating mode of these companies and enhance the security of their business information. Because of this, cloud computing has been adopted on such a large scale. In addition, a study by the University of Manchester shows that as many as 62% of American companies surveyed have adopted cloud computing in their business activities.

The development of cloud technology has spawned a new generation of companies. About 30 years ago, to set up an internet company, it was necessary to prepare several early venture funds to ensure the operation of the company. They will use these seed funds to purchase the computing power, connectivity and data capabilities needed for the company's operation. With these millions, start-ups can operate in the early stage and develop the market. However, in today's world of cloud providers, this model is outdated.

Now, if a startup wants to do online business, the first thing it should do is to buy a small amount of computing power from suppliers. With these computing capabilities, they can start a small-scale operation to see if this business is feasible and profitable. It is estimated that to reach this commercial maturity, only a few thousand dollars are needed. Unlike 10 or 20 years ago, today, venture capitalists are more hesitant to invest in emerging companies before proving that their business model is feasible, all of which are facilitated by cloud computing.

Cloud computing is very beneficial to small companies, and they don't need to prepare additional funds to ensure their own development. So they don't need to spend the money on infrastructure construction, but on marketing and tapping consumer demand. The typical way to buy cloud computing is to "buy what you use", so a new business can continuously increase revenue-but the tax rate is fixed.

The benefits of a cloud solution are further reflected in the fact that its service items will be increased or expanded immediately. If you need more computing power or storage space, just click on a few web pages, and the power you need will be provided to you immediately. Smart company operators will rely on this improvisation ability to control all possible turnover changes at any time after the launch of new products or services, or to cope with seasonal changes in demand. In this way, cloud service has great flexibility and price advantage.

This flexibility can not only promote structural growth, but also help companies cope with seasonal business changes. The turnover of many companies will increase greatly in the holiday season of late autumn and early winter, especially retail companies. In fact, many traditional retail companies rely on increased sales during holidays to achieve annual business profits. With the increase of turnover, the demand for computing power will inevitably increase. With the help of cloud computing, these companies can flexibly decide whether to increase or decrease the demand for cloud services according to the changes in peak shopping hours. This example shows that even companies that focus on commodities can improve efficiency by adjusting the flexibility of cloud computing.

In the past 10 years, cloud facility services have developed into a powerful force in the business world. At the same time, business process outsourcing has become commonplace-with the emergence of globalization and process standardization, many companies are more and more likely to outsource ordinary business processes to professional and efficient third parties.

Due to the prevalence of outsourcing, more and more business processes and business capabilities will follow the cloud paradigm. The concept of "Infrastrucure as a Service (IaaS)" that others provide you with computing power and information storage means will change, and more and more companies will advocate the concept of "Platform as a Service (PaaS), that is, the whole business system, such as ERP system, SCM (Supply Chain Management System) and ECM (Enterprise Content Management System), can be provided. Today, companies such as Workday, Salesforce.com (CRM software and cloud computing designed for social enterprises) and Saperion (German content management provider) are using such solutions. Even Microsoft has accepted this change, and its entire office software is using the "Software as a Service, SaaS" model. Obviously, if this trend continues, the business scope entrusted by enterprises to third-party suppliers will become larger and larger.

After PaaS and SaaS, what I call Outcomes as a Service (OaaS) will emerge. OaaS means that companies can order outsourcing services that can predict business results. If a company wants to hire a new employee, then OaaS can provide it with a qualified talent. If a company wants to expand consumers in new markets, OaaS will choose new consumers for it.

In the next 10 year, due to the collision of different market dynamics, OaaS will be further developed. First, business data in standardized format will be provided in real time. If a company wants to use OaaS suppliers, it must have a strong information infrastructure. Companies must have a deep understanding of their internal business processes in order to unify these processes with the processes and data provided by OaaS suppliers, which is the goal that most companies have been pursuing for the past three or four decades. Recently, most companies can outsource their main business processes through data while maintaining some control over these businesses.

Those business processes and services that will use the cloud transmission mode will continue to expand and further strengthen the business value chain. Over the years, traditional and simple business processes have been commercialized and outsourced, such as recruitment, salary and logistics. Nowadays, more advanced business services are being simplified and aggregated and become more suitable for outsourcing. I have seen several advertisements about services on TV, including LegalZoom which provides online legal services, Accountant which provides online accounting services and so on. These OaaS providers initially targeted at the small and medium-sized enterprise market. With the continuous commercialization of these commercial services, they will eventually be transported to large companies through cloud transmission. Large companies have many businesses, which can bring more income to OaaS suppliers. At the same time, they are constantly looking for ways to raise the threshold.