21st July 2021 Top 5 cloud pitfalls and how to avoid them

Cloud is without a doubt the new way to do business. Since the pandemic there has been a surge in businesses looking to use cloud computing. It’s now gone from a trend, to an integral part of every new digital business initiative.

But with every new technology there are things to be wary of. And preventing problems before they take place is the most effective approach you can take. We look at some of the most common challenges businesses face when implementing the cloud, and how we can help you sell to customers.

What are the benefits of using cloud?

Effectively using the cloud can save money, improve and accelerate innovation, and make businesses more agile in the market so stay ahead of the competition. But this cloud success only comes if you know and understand how to avoid problems and implement the right cloud strategy for your business.

By moving from the traditional on-premises data centres to the cloud, businesses can optimise costs and deliver innovative solutions to their customers. Investing in the right areas of the cloud can greatly streamline and modernise tech stacks through cloud environments and applications.

What are top 5 most common cloud pitfalls?

Without the right cloud strategy to avoid mistakes, all the potential gains could be quickly lost. How you manage your application portfolio, infrastructure, and all the data you produce, will greatly affect how much cloud delivers on its potential for your business. Here are five of the biggest pitfalls to avoid:

1. Spiraling costs

One of the big benefits of the cloud is saving money. But approached in the wrong way, you could be spending more than you gain. The idea is to move spending from capital expenditures to operating expenditures, to stay flexible and monitor spending regularly and create consumption-based pricing.

Issues arise when there is a lack of visibility on how cloud is being used, as organisations allow decentralized groups to source and manage their own cloud solutions. This creates autonomy, but can also lead to unused licenses, over 25% over spending on services, and unnecessary duplication.

How to avoid it

You need a good data strategy and observability capabilities to go with your cloud strategy. Monitor what you’re spending and where, so that costs are aligned with budgets. Centralising cost management will give you better control and visibility on where duplication and unnecessary spending is happening.

2. No security strategy

Cloud vendors have pre-approved security so strong that many sophisticated enterprises would be proud of it. But the cloud-native applications themselves are designed to break new ground and take risks, which makes them more reliant on your own security measures to already be in place.

Security issues do not arise in the cloud itself, but in the policies and measures that users use to control the technology and data. It is less a question of “is the cloud secure?”, and more a question of “am I using it securely?”. Managing risk is paramount, and it’s easier than you may think to overlook.

How to avoid it

A strong security strategy is a fundamental part of a good cloud strategy. This lets you control the data whilst also putting the right people and tools in charge of managing risk. Your security teams should identify and mediate issues through one platform across the entire multi-cloud environment.

3. Lack of stability

Another big advantage to the cloud is the speed at which you can implement change and use innovation to create solutions. But the big danger is that too much focus on transformation and agility will take your eye away from the stability you took for granted with on-premises data centres.

Moving faster without maintaining visibility can result in reduced stability and hindered cloud adoption. Not only this but troubleshooting software problems can quickly become overwhelming. The more distributed your applications are, the more you will have to manage updates and problems.

How to avoid it

If you can’t see it, you can’t understand it. The key is to observe and use the data streams that emerge from new services and applications, as they hold the answers you need. This will help you locate the root of the problem, and help you find that great combination of new speed but with the same stability.

4. Misusing tools

By using the purpose-built tools that come as part of a cloud solution, you can save money by freeing up time your IT and security teams would have spent managing on-premises tools. But these tools are designed only for each cloud solution and won’t consider what tools you do, or don’t already have.

Businesses can find themselves spending time filling in gaps left by new tools, and making legacy, and sometimes outdated technology fit within the new infrastructure. This can lead to less visibility of data and operations, poorer response times, bad customer experience, and an overall increase in risk.

How to avoid it

Cloud tools help you stay competitive. And when you have new and old tools working simultaneously, it’s important to bring them together under a single data platform that uses AI and machine learning to analyse all the cloud services in the right context. It’s a truly modern solution to a modern problem.

5. Untapped data

Cloud can bring you untold value in the extra data you’ll be generating. But this can quickly turn into an untold number of missed opportunities, if you don’t take effective action to make the most of it. If used correctly, this data can give you unique insight, drive customer engagement, and streamline operations.

The value in data is not automatically generated. It must be processed, analysed, and understood correctly. It can come as a shock as to the amount of data you receive, and if you’re not prepared it can stay untapped and become a mountain of lost opportunity scattered across multiple systems.

How to avoid it

A clear understanding of data is paramount to successfully getting the most value out of it. Data must be organised and made accessible from a central point for the whole organisation. You also need to consider all the places it can come from, including apps, microservices, systems, tools, and more.

How can Exertis Cloud help?

You need a cloud partner that will help you understand and sell cloud to customers, and ensure they stay protected and use the cloud to their advantage. We help you manage your customers’ cloud solution, so they avoid pitfalls such as increased costs and lost opportunities to grow.

  • Cloud success manager

We provide a concierge service, which means you get a dedicated account manager to help you grow your cloud business. We work with small and medium businesses and deliver personalised business consultancy services and advice on growing a successful cloud business.

  • Top marketing

We’re a marketing-driven organisation, and we provide top marketing solutions that help you sell cloud, always tailored to your business. Whether you’re a VAR or MSP, our partner programme is designed so that you learn, train and achieve your cloud goals.

  • Security support

We also have multiple security vendors and partners onboarded to help you with all your issues. So, if you want to know more about how Exertis can help you set up and manage your cloud business, visit our site or speak to one of our account managers today.