Why Old Mindsets Don’t Work in a New Data Era

Cloud technology allows businesses to harness one of the most valuable commodities on the planet right now: data. Without the cloud, it’s near impossible for a business to fully leverage the vast array of potential benefits – let alone effectively compete in the data landscape.

Here at Antares, a significant portion of the work we do is supporting businesses during their transition from on-premise to cloud so they can achieve the data and analytics capabilities they aspire to.

And while we’ve seen huge adoption across the board, we still encounter some common objections as we endeavour to help organisations take that all important next step in their cloud and data journey.

All of these objections stem from assumptions about the cloud that are grounded in traditional mindsets. Here are the 3 most common traditional mindsets we find impacting organisations struggling to progress in this new data-centric era….

The cost of cloud is prohibitive

When you have long established systems and processes in place, the cost to transition to a new way of working is a key consideration.

At first glance, the cost of cloud can appear to be prohibitive. However, one of the many benefits of cloud services is that you only pay for what you use (consumption-based pricing). With help from cloud specialists, you can reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary expenses in ways you may not know are possible. You may also be able to negotiate better deals with multi-year contracts.

When considering price, another factor that often goes unrealised is the cost-benefit ratio. Deciding to steer clear of cloud due to cost – without fully assessing the mid to long term ROI – can be a major inhibitor to innovation.

Consider having a cloud specialist genuinely detail the productivity, efficiency, and cost reduction or elimination benefits cloud can provide across the entire organisation (not just the IT business unit). By doing this, you’ll have a greater understanding of what you stand to lose by not implementing cloud and moving forward with your cloud and data journey.

The last element to consider as part of your cost analysis is the impact on your IT staff. We are seeing many highly skilled engineers who are extremely keen to get their hands dirty with new tech but aren’t being supported by leadership. It’s only a matter of time before these valued employees move on to more agile and innovative companies, leaving their former employers struggling to find great talent in a highly competitive recruitment market.

Essentially, before you make a final decision about cloud, try to consider the wide variety of factors that play into a cost-based decision, including:
• unrealised productivity and efficiency gains
• maintaining legacy equipment into the future
• falling behind in a hyper-competitive consumer market
• deterring highly skilled IT professionals
• unrealised data analytics opportunities

Cloud is too risky

Another objection we hear from leaders who are unsure about moving to the cloud is the potential security risks. Executives simply feel safer knowing all their information is stored in-house, and protected by systems that have long since been considered effective.

But the truth is, cloud solutions providers such as Microsoft have the best security features in the world. Unlike proprietary or disparate security solutions that are tacked onto on-premise systems, Microsoft’s holistic approach to security touches every aspect of its cloud technology – and is constantly evolving to keep up with the latest threats.

Where security is essential, cloud specialists can help you ensure your new cloud architecture is as robust as possible. They can also review your security policies to benchmark the adequacy of security training across the organisation – from staff taking appropriate caution when opening emails, to surfing the web, or connecting to your network when working remotely.

Change is too hard

It’s exciting when we see industries decoupling from traditional mindsets and embracing new opportunities. But this isn’t always easy to do.

We speak to many C-Suite executives who know change is necessary, but are concerned with their organisation’s ability to adapt. Ways of working are simply so ingrained that change seems impossible.

However, the longer an organisation waits to take that first step into the cloud, the more difficult it can be to instigate change.

Working with a cloud specialist can help you minimise the negative impacts of change, while helping you re-design your processes in ways that maximise the benefits of your transition and open up exciting capabilities such as high velocity data reporting.

Once the project is complete, you may decide to work with a change management consultant who can support you in undertaking company-wide training and driving user adoption.

How Antares can help

At Antares, we work with organisations across all industries to help:
• assess current technology and processes
• understand business goals
• identify the best way to deploy cloud technology
• help optimise your environment to reduce risk and maximise benefits

Our goal is to assist you in making strategic decisions about the future of IT in your business, so you can lay the best possible foundations to progress with confidence in this new data era.

To speak with a cloud specialist from Antares about the next stage of your cloud and data journey, please contact us.

By Kelvin Hong, Principle Consultant in Data & AI, Antares Solutions