As Businesses Enter the ‘Information Age,’ is Cloud the Solution?

Anthony Bartolo is Chief Product Officer for Tata Communications.

Having moved from the Bronze Age through the Industrial Age, we are currently on a trajectory toward a new, huge shift in our society thanks to the rapid acceleration of technology: the Information Age.

As the name suggests, the defining element of our future is information, composed of lots and lots of data. Managed correctly, this can translate to exciting applications of technology based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

While it may seem daunting to know where to start, businesses of any size can access these kinds of technologies in 2018 thanks to easy access to affordable, scalable cloud packages. These days most major cloud providers have a suite of AI capabilities that businesses can, with a bit of imagination, use as the building blocks for new ways to improve process efficiency through automation and create new products and capabilities for customers.

AI’s ability to process information at beyond superhuman speed promises better management of processes, systems, networks and information, making it a strong business tool. Examples of how organizations have utilized AI are varied and innovative, covering everything from improving air quality to wildlife conservation. By using cloud, any organization can find an AI solution that can be scaled up or down depending on their requirements.

Another technology that offers huge potential is IoT. The practice of connecting any potential “smart” devices to a network is already creating huge waves for a range of industries, including applications in agriculture, city planning and manufacturing. Typical examples of this technology include sensors that monitor and evaluate their own performance and can order a replacement for themselves if they stop functioning. This can lead to huge savings in terms of time and cost, as it automates the whole process.

So far, the case for moving a business to the cloud has been to increase flexibility and to lower computing costs, but now cloud offers businesses the tools they need to adopt these latest technologies. This is especially important as older businesses look to keep up pace with their innovative digital native counterparts.

However, businesses looking to invest in these technologies will need a huge amount of computer processing power. Unfortunately, not many organizations have the option of building their own brick-and-mortar data centers, but this need not be a barrier for your business; thanks to the cloud, state-of-the-art data centers are at your fingers, irrespective of the scale of your business.

Developments in the industry are already well underway to support an organizational move to the cloud, specifically with these new technologies in mind. For example, we recently extended our partnership with Google to provide support for its recently launched Partner Interconnect service. The platform is already set up, and its infrastructure is certified with Google Cloud, hence minimizing efforts for organizations.

Without a doubt, the technologies we use to power our businesses are evolving and organizations need to be agile and innovative enough to figure out where it can add value to their business. They say every journey starts with a single step – using the cloud for your business gives you the direction to walk confidently into the new Information Age.

Opinions expressed in the article above do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Data Center Knowledge and Informa.

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