COVID-19 and the Rise of the Virtual Business: Why some companies are rethinking the private cloud

In our previous posts, we took a look at the ways hybrid cloud infrastructures are helping organizations maintain stability during these uncertain times. In this, our final post of this series, we examine the reasons some companies are rethinking the private cloud as they reimagine their sustainability in a post-pandemic world.

As businesses around the world begin to reopen, many are rethinking what their businesses will be like. What was supposed to be a temporary hiccup, has now become a force for change. Analysts forecast that by the end of 2021, 25-30% of the workforce will be working remotely, a substantial increase from 3.6% before COVID-19. This shift has put added burdens on companies that solely rely on their private clouds, causing some to rethink their cloud position and look for other avenues to support their virtual business.

Weighing the options

Many companies have yet to define what “business as usual” will look like for the coming months and years. In the pre-pandemic world, their private clouds provided a greater sense of control and security compared to public offerings. However, with shifting patterns of work access, cloud sprawl, scalability, and the flexibility needed to quickly adapt to how business will work in the future, many enterprises are weighing their options when it comes to embracing new forms of cloud computing.

• Scalability and support – Flexibility is more important than ever in the post-coronavirus world. Being able to quickly scale to meet greater demand and support your virtual workforce’s access can be very difficult, if not impossible, when it comes to private cloud.

• Security

   

  – A substantial increase in employees accessing your private cloud opens the doors to hackers looking for an easy way to breach your network. Getting ahead of these attacks or mitigating the damage they’ve already caused may not be your IT team’s field of expertise or it may be so overconsuming they are unable to focus on more profitable business tasks.

• Cloud expertise

   

  – Managing a private cloud is a learning curving for many IT teams who have more than one responsibility within the organization. Hiring a

   

  cloud engineering manager runs around $150K

   

  which could be a hefty investment for many companies.

However, there are some organizations that don’t have that option or find private works best for them. Companies within highly regulated industries are required to maintain private clouds to adhere to strict compliance standards. However, some are reducing the strain on their private clouds by moving less-sensitive data and tools to a public cloud, enabling these organizations to balance their private cloud’s workload. Specialized businesses often need more customized features when it comes to their cloud, and they usually have the resources to support them, making private cloud more cost-effective for them.

Cut through cloud chaos

With your business at stake, it’s best to get expert advice on how to move forward with your cloud. FoxNet’s team of cloud experts can walk you through all your options so you can choose the best cloud solution for your business. Our partnership with NetApp means we can help you unlock the power of integrated, enterprise-class data services and provide you with the managed IT support you need to keep your remote workforce and  your business moving forward. FoxNet helps you cut through the cloud chaos.

About FoxNet

For more than 18 years FoxNet has delivered custom IT solutions and provided premier managed services to customers across the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Recognized as one of Canada’s Top Service Providers, our team of experts will help you design an infrastructure solution, including on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments to meet your unique needs for these unique times and beyond. Discover how FoxNet can help your business prosper during these uncertain times.