Over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge proportion of organisations implementing cloud-based solutions. According to a recent study, almost two thirds of businesses migrated to the cloud in 2020. However, whilst cloud implementation is well under way, in 2022, we can expect to see enterprises looking to optimise their virtual or sub-virtual environments. In order to capture the potential value of the cloud, organisations need to understand how they can drive optimisation. Whether they’re using a public, private, hybrid or multi-cloud model, over the next 12 months, business leaders will be looking at how they can get the most out of their investment.
The need for cloud optimisation is the direct result of the rapid digital transformation initiatives and rushed cloud migration that dominated 2021 and consequently, left visibility gaps in IT infrastructure. Cloud tools unable to see into the network, and network tools with no view into the cloud, has meant IT teams cannot properly understand and analyse what is happening across their digital environment. You simply cannot manage what you cannot see, and according to a Gigamon poll, the most concerning complexities of the cloud in 2021 were a lack of visibility and gaps in security. In 2022, we will see organisations addressing these critical issues and implement observability across their entire technology stack to improve business operations, reduce costs and bolster cloud security.
Have you traded on-premise lock-in for in-cloud lock-in?
Prioritising performance
How can organisations gain a competitive edge in 2022? The simple answer is to improve customer experience. However, a gap in cloud visibility can cultivate a negative digital experience for the end-user, slowing the performance of the products they’re using and causing bottlenecks that disrupt productivity. An unoptimised cloud environment with visibility gaps also means that IT support teams will struggle to troubleshoot and remedy issues fast. The next 12 months will be critical for NetOps and CloudOps teams looking to avoid negative customer experience or complex troubleshooting processes. If business leaders are to boost their revenues, they will need to prioritise bridging the visibility gap to make sure their customers are getting the experience they’ve been promised.
Optimising costs
Optimising the costs associated with cloud adoption will be a key consideration in the coming year. The benefits of cloud adoption are well known, but some organisations are still struggling to balance their IT budgets efficiently. In today’s business climate, enterprises are battling with revenue loss, increasing costs and a shift in workforce priorities, which is why it’s crucial that they take control of their cloud spend. Deriving value from the cloud requires a clear understanding of usage costs, to prevent any excessive consumption. For organisations to reduce expenditure, IT teams need to establish complete visibility across the entire network – this will allow them to see where resource is being used, and where they can scale and save.
However, organisations often find themselves embroiled in a complex sprawl of cloud solutions in an attempt to optimise their IT environment. As more tools come into play and costs rise, many organisations simply won’t have the budget in 2022 to keep adding more solutions to their technology stack. Instead, the answer lies in implementing a singular platform that allows a complete view across the entire infrastructure, from the core to the cloud.
Getting the board on board: a cost-benefit analysis approach to cyber security
Bolstering security
Cyber security will be a key focus area for organisations looking to optimise their cloud infrastructure. Across the world, cyber attacks are front of mind and security remains a barrier to digital transformation. To better protect their enterprises, it is anticipated that many CISOs will benefit from increased cyber security budgets or at least level funding in the new year.
To gain a clear picture of all malicious behaviour or potential threats activity, deep observability is needed. This not only means visibility to eradicate blind spots, but also the ability to harness actionable insight that will allow businesses to mitigate threats as and when they see them. If a SecOps team has ‘clouded’ vision into their IT infrastructure, they are forced to rely on insights gathered from unreliable sources such as trace files or application logs. These won’t suffice in the cyber threat landscape we’re expecting to see in 2022, where ransomware will be one of the biggest digital dangers for organisations.
In 2022, organisations need to prioritise optimising their legacy systems and integrate these with virtual environments, if they want to improve security and boost application performance. Furthermore, with the uncertainty of today’s business landscape and the possibility of more restrictions, cutting costs will be front of mind. To remain competitive, protect from threats like ransomware and stay profitable, cloud optimisation is essential – and visibility is the only way this can be achieved.
