The future of work is here

Have you recently used Gmail? Put images in a shared iCloud? Joined a Zoom meeting?

These everyday activities are just a glimpse of how cloud technology is already in your life.

But the cloud isn’t all fun and games and collecting your data for targeted ads. When it comes to business, the cloud can bring unprecedented scalability and security.

Let's explore the story of cloud technology, its current state, and how you can assess your company's digital transformation journey. Let’s go for a float around cyberspace and discuss the future of work.

Assess your digital transformation journey

Quick, answer these five questions:

• is your workplace reducing the amount of paper it prints?
• does the idea of remote working excite you?
• have you digitized the documents in that archaic storage unit yet?
• do you have a go-to digital signature tool?
• do you use one or more Google Workspace products regularly?

If you said “no” to three or more of the above questions, it might be time to look into how a cloud migration strategy could revolutionize your business.

The origins of cloud technology

Cloud computing is the use of remote servers to store, manage and process data or run applications over the Internet. Imagine your office filing cabinet floating above you anywhere in the world, just waiting to be rifled through.

Once, long ago, offices were haunted by a cold and ominous server room where untold numbers of people and papers were lost to the dark. No more.

How did we get from the ground to the cloud? The future of work started earlier than you think: 1969. A man known to his friends as “Lick” and to the academic world as J.C.R. Licklider helped create the ARPANET, a baby version of the internet. This laid the foundations.

In the late '90s and early 2000s companies like Salesforce and Google were providing data services online, but they didn’t have a word for it. Not until a 2006 conference, when Google CEO Eric Schmidt popularized a term several people had been using quietly in the background: cloud computing.

The current state of cloud technology

The future is here and it sounds exactly like a William Gibson novel: quantum computing, artificial intelligence and the hybrid cloud are already shaping technology as we know it.

Cloud computing continues to evolve, and staying up-to-date is crucial for your business to thrive in the digital age. Let's look at what's happening in cloud computing right now.

Quantum computing

Quantum computing allows calculations to be done at ridiculously fast speeds and solves mind-bending problems in a flash. Still in its infancy, quantum computing is envisioned to enhance cloud security and turbocharge data processing and simulations, making everything run smoother and faster.

The hybrid cloud

Lots of organizations are going for a hybrid cloud setup, which allows data on a private cloud for top-notch security, while also enjoying the flexibility and scalability of the public cloud. It keeps the most top secret info in the top secretest hands while allowing everyone else to play with what the public cloud has to offer.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI is this year’s Big Thing™, so it’s rude not to give it a mention. Cloud providers are offering AI and ML services that improve and automate analytics, and many cloud-based softwares now offer natural language processing; machines that process human language.

The benefits of cloud migration

Are you able to roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and jump straight onto a call with an overseas client? You can thank the cloud for that. 

Cloud computing also provides the following benefits compared to your clunky local server:

• cost savings: reduce upfront investment and pay for what you use
• scalable storage: expand storage capacity as data grows
• automatic software updates: stay up to date with the latest features and security
• security: benefit from robust security measures and data encryption
• sustainability: reduce energy consumption and use less paper

Challenges facing the cloud

While the advantages of the cloud are impressive, it's good to understand the challenges as well.

Digitizing your files, choosing a cloud provider, getting set up with internet good enough to empower your new cloud-based workflows; migration from the ground to the cloud is a huge undertaking. It's certain to use up a good chunk of time and money.

But it's worth thinking about the time and money you could lose by keeping your business grounded. You might already be taking months to close deals instead of days, wasting hours every day on manual paperwork, and losing your best talent to more future-focused competitors.

It's time to take transformation seriously.