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For most businesses the question is no longer whether it is appropriate to adopt a cloud service, but rather when is the right time and what services to move.

Meanwhile, those early adopters should be reviewing their portfolio to ensure they are getting best value and optimum service, as cloud providers are constantly developing and updating their offerings. These are the key cloud trends to look out for in.

1. Cloud architecture

To move to the cloud you will need to work out the optimal method for migrating current services to cloud systems and design architecture systems to suit. This demands core skills from different IT infrastructure design specialists. Using a public cloud services enables a business to use a standard set of building blocks however they cannot normally be changed and integrated effectively. This is compared with having to uniquely configure each element of a business’s application or service. We expect to see organisations increasingly developing these architecture skills to achieve successful migrations.

2. Multiple cloud providers

We see businesses increasingly using multiple cloud providers, and with this comes the introduction of cloud management systems and services that provide integrations. Some can offer major incident and trouble-shooting management, and may also include asset management of devices and infrastructure to suit your business needs. However, businesses still now need to oversee the management and monitoring off all cloud services.

3. Moving services

To date, few people are not moving workloads between cloud providers. However, in saying this we believe that this will become more common as users become more familiar with the benefits of cloud systems and services and compare the offerings of the many providers. Some cloud providers may then respond with competitive pricing. Businesses therefore need to design their cloud services with the flexibility to adopt different platforms or alternative cloud suppliers quickly with minimum impact to existing services.

4. Securing services

When moving data to a cloud system or service, it is imperative to take proper data security precautions. This suggests taking responsibility for asking the cloud service provider to deliver the appropriate levels of information on security and measuring as well as auditing the provider to ensure that the relevant security is reached. Businesses will become more sophisticated in the way they evaluate potential cloud providers, seeking out independent verification of their capabilities and looking at key areas such as the governance and data security policies. Furthermore, this becomes more important in light of regulations and the data security policies and procedures that will be required by the regulator if an audit is necessary.

5. New advances

As cloud services and systems grow in capability and scale, we can expect to see an increasing number of new applications, whose possibility is limited only by the ingenuity and scope of cloud service providers. While some will be targeted at niche markets, others will address common problems.

If you are looking to adopt a cloud service or system the time is now, but in doing so take into account the aforementioned key trends. Look out for competitive pricing, and a cloud system that is secure and meets the requirements of your business so you can grow with ease and automation. Want to know what else to look out for when searching for a great cloud-based inventory management software?