Globalization and mobility are among the chief factors behind the dramatic shift in the adoption of cloud-based technologies among businesses. While the use of Internet has made it possible to transfer data around the world, cloud technology, on the other hand, allows the faster processing of these data.
At a recent briefing with the press, Chandru Relwani, Senior Director for CRM Applications Product Management at Oracle Asia Pacific and Japan, talked about the factors driving cloud computing adoption and stressed that Oracle’s cloud strategy is focused on delivering the benefits of the cloud, offering a complete set of technology and enterprise applications in the cloud that simplifies IT and enables business innovation.
Oracle Cloud is built on a common set of infrastructure services. Based on the same standards, the platform services, business applications services, and a set of services called social to allow the use of social media to transform business, are designed to work together. There is also the so-called complete suite, enterprise grade common infrastructure services which consist of applications in sales and marketing, customer service and support, human capital management, talent management, financial management, procurement, sourcing, inventory, project portfolio management, governance, risk compliance, and planning and budgeting application services.
Since these applications can be availed under a subscription-based service, there is no software license or hardware to buy and manage. This cloud architecture is designed to deliver short- and long-term benefits, including greater speed, cost savings, and lower risk.
The unprecedented growth levels in the amount of data also drive the use of cloud technologies. Whether structured, semi-structured or unstructured, data continue to proliferate significantly as more information is digitized.
Cloud computing is also driven by the rise in mobility in IT operations. “Employees, particularly the younger generations, are connected in various computing devices that have invaded the enterprise,” says Relwani. These users are increasingly turning to their personal mobile devices to do their work.
The other factors, according to Relwani, that have driven cloud computing are cost savings, collaboration and the migration from legacy applications to new technology to modernize IT operations.
Relwani also discussed about the results of the Cloud Readiness Index in the Asia Pacific, a study conducted by AsiaCloud.Org in October 2012 designed to track the region’s progress towards a complete spectrum of cloud computing-based infrastructure and services.
According to Relwani, based on the study, Japan topped the rankings, ahead of Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore while 60% of ASEAN firms are ready to adopt the cloud in five years.
He also said that the Philippines’ adoption to cloud is growing up through government initiatives, or the Integrated Government Philippines (iGovPhilippines) project. iGovPhilippines is a project launched on June 28,2012 which seek to achieve a higher level of e-governance or the application of information and communications technology to rationalize government operations and improve the delivery of goods and services to the people.
In a separate survey conducted by Oracle on its customers regarding Cloud adoption, Relwani claimed that most Oracle applications clients or 81% are only starting to tap into Cloud solutions. Of these, 30% or 1/3 is just deploying the cloud solutions for the enterprises within the last 12 months, while 51% are using the technology within the last five years. This push has seen a wide array of industries rely on cloud computing to a higher degree, even consumer law firms like Fair Credit.
According to the survey, the benefits survey respondents derived from adopting cloud include the following: 53% said cost savings, 44% claimed faster time to market while 35% reported more business flexibility.
Meanwhile, when asked about the challenges encountered to implementing a successful cloud strategy in an enterprise, Relwani enumerates the following: changing mindset of the people, security which remained as the biggest pain point for IT professionals implementing clouds computing projects, managing applications and infrastructure, and changed management and training in cloud applications.
