Cloud computing, in a layman’s terms, means storing and accessing the data over the internet instead of computer’s hard drive. Cloud is a metaphor for the internet, and the cloud customer (the person taking the cloud services) has to pay for it. Digital disruption is taking the whole world by a storm, and businesses and enterprises are realizing the potential and opportunities of going digital. Enterprises are trying hard to be digitally empowered to stay relevant in this changing environment.  Cloud computing is vital for digital transformation as it helps an organization to step into the digital realm.

Cloud provides flexibility, swift and quick operations, accuracy and efficiency, cost efficiency, and the ability to scale up and down. The cloud model provides instant access to the latest solutions and approaches and ready-to-use environments for creating and delivering the innovative business strategies and products. It makes innovation pocket-friendly and available.

Like any technological innovation, cloud computing is also going through the process of diffusion of innovation. The early adopters are outpacing the businesses that are still apprehensive about the technology or haven’t adopted it yet. It won’t be wrong to say that the organizations that have been reluctant in adopting cloud model have not achieved the same level of digital maturity. Around six in ten organizations that currently have or are in the process of deploying a Digital Transformation strategy say that it is designed to steer the use of technology over the next decade.

In an organization, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the driving force behind implementation of cloud strategy. Cloud helps CIOs focus on what is important by divesting non-differentiating assets. It helps CIOs to relieve themselves of legacy systems and ownership bias. By welcoming the safety and economics of the cloud, CIOs can lose the dead weight of undifferentiating software and infrastructure.
The digital transformation of an organization starts internally, and the decision makers of an organization should be more open towards embracing newer technological advancements. A cloud-enabled business model will help the organization understand their customers more efficiently and pave new paths for customer outreach.

Cloud computing is here to stay and make a huge difference in the way an organization performs its operations. It is the way forward towards digital evolution, and every enterprise that wants to strive in this dynamic environment should happily welcome and embrace cloud model.