It’s unlikely anyone needs a reminder that 2020 was a chaotic year for the business community. Even organizations with impeccable continuity plans faced the daunting task of responding to the biggest disruption the world has seen in the modern age. Organizations with business-critical data in the cloud and added as-a-service applications had a distinct advantage over those that didn’t. With the cloud computing industry expected to grow to $832.1 billion by 2025, more organizations will look to cloud and as-a-service models to prepare for the next big disruption.
Cloud and As-a-Service, at your Service
A lot of people still think that cloud computing is only used as a data back-up system; however, it’s more than just a storage locker. Combined with as-a-service models, it has, and will continue to, truly transform the way we do business. Major benefits include:
Cost Savings and Investments
- On-premise infrastructure and hard disk spend is reduced or eliminated.
- Charges are based on consumption and pay-as-you-go (theoretically).
- Royalty fees on automated software licenses are reduced.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (DR)
- Reduced need for remote DR site, which requires constant maintenance.
- Automated backup and disaster recovery, requiring minimal human intervention.
- Cloud computing services are accessible from anywhere and at any time.
Workforce Collaboration
- Communicate and share information more easily outside of the traditional methods.
- Enhanced communication and collaboration between employees as multiple users can share and work on data and files at the same time.
- Off-site and global employees can access work-related information, documents and records quickly and securely.
Flexibility and Scalability
- Resource allocation changes are easier and forecastable.
- Mobile workforce workhorse – employees can access files from anywhere, in real-time.
- Resources scale up or down depending on organizational needs.
Competitive Advantage
- Allows organizations to react to market changes more quickly and efficiently.
- Accessibility and affordability for small and medium sized organizations.
- Big data analytics allow for deeper insight into customer behavior and patterns.
Security
- Security provided through the cloud is generally cheaper than traditional security frameworks.
- Automated and continuous security updates.
- Round-the-clock network monitoring to neutralize threats.
The Hidden Costs of Cloud Services
Even with the myriad benefits that as-a-service and cloud can provide, cloud costs can be difficult to control. Cloud providers are not scaled to incentivize return on investment (ROI). They don’t have cost centers, they don’t have tagging, and they don’t have all the innate detail that is needed to analyze properly. Chief Investment Officers (CIO) and Information Technology (IT) teams remain challenged to mitigate cloud spend due to disparate data, manual processes, limited cloud governance frameworks, inadequate visibility into usage, and departmental silos. Organizations are continuously challenged by overprovisioning and idle resources. Other sources of waste include orphaned volumes, inefficient containerization, underutilized databases, instances running on legacy resource types, unused reserved instances, and more.
All of this, coupled with increased pressure to shrink costs, can lead to rising frustration.
Taming the Cloud Spend Beast
Cloud optimization is critical to delivering operational efficiency and controlling cloud costs. It’s about visibility and transparency. And the more unified it is, the better. A holistic approach allows you to gain visibility to all expenses so that the full picture and landscape is available. Tangoe One Cloud simplifies invoice collection, processing, and payment activities through automation and customized workflows. Advisory Services take it a step further by helping you plan and execute on cost saving and transformational strategies, identify and eliminate legacy and non-essential services, and maximize ROI from expense management solutions.
Resource Management
The application for Cloud provides your organization with the ability to view and analyze all billed cloud services, from all vendors, in one central application, giving you a clear understanding of your technology investment and resources. Through analytics, you can see any inventory item with a billed cost and associated usage charges produced.
Reporting and Analytics
Tangoe One Cloud gives you access valuable insights with detailed reporting and analysis for a complete view of all available cloud resources. It’s a cost-effective resource to implement governance policies and procedures, manage the acquisition and utilization of cloud assets, identify trends, and accurately forecast future needs.
Invoice Management
Through automation and customized workflows, the application for cloud simplifies invoice collection, processing, and payment activities. Vendor usage data and invoices are collected, configured, and processed for approval, allocation, and payment through one application.
Don’t let cloud expenses spiral out of control. Learn how Tangoe One Cloud and Advisory Services can help you understand, control and optimize cloud spend. Get a demo today.