FEATURE : CLOUD SOLUTIONS
He noted that quantum computing will be key as it aims to solve complex problems even the world ’ s most powerful supercomputers cannot solve . “ The need for data privacy is becoming even more critical and IBM now offers the most holistic quantum-safe approach to securing data available today and to help enterprises protect existing data and help protect against future threats .
Ratshefola added that hybrid cloud and AI are the two dominant forces driving Digital Transformation . “ These technologies are promising to meet the needs of clients wherever they may be on their transformation journey . Companies rarely start from scratch and they often have complex workloads , apps , messaging , data and transactional systems to consider as they build for the future . Hybrid cloud and AI are the basis for competitive advantage in this environment – they determine how quickly one can pivot to new market opportunities , how well you serve your clients , how much you can scale and how fast you can respond to a crisis like the one we are facing today ,” he said .
Laurent Garcia , EMEA Cloud Business Leader , Cohesity , said the current global situation and the weak economy just gave cloud adoption a boost – including MEA . “ One of the things that we are seeing is that enterprises are looking at all of their spending and that includes IT , so they want to ensure that technology spending is driving the most business value ,” he said . “ One thing that ’ s come out of the current crisis and into the post-COVID world is a renewed emphasis on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery . We cannot have those discussions without service providers and cloud infrastructure because it enables those things to happen .”
Drivers of cloud adoption
Al-Zoubi explained that there are a few major drivers of cloud adoption in the region : scalability , agility and security . He added that cloud-based solutions are working to enhance overall productivity and visibility for organisations across industries .
“ IT teams can automate management and provisioning of cloud-based services to simplify operations , save time and help reduce costs . High scalability eliminates the time needed for purchasing and deploying additional infrastructure .
“ Enterprises that need to innovate and pivot quickly often turn to cloud services . At the same time , some companies have data centre assets and applications which cannot be easily migrated . Other data may be subject to regulatory requirements that prevent that data from residing in public clouds ,” he said .
As a result , noted Al-Zoubi , companies often pursue a hybrid cloud architecture , where some data and applications reside in companies ’ own data centres and some data and apps reside in public clouds .
“ Sectors such as oil and gas are seeing increasing prevalence of cloud solutions , to remotely observe and maintain fields and production units . Data in the cloud can be leveraged to identify potential areas requiring maintenance ahead of time , to limit outages and keep production at a steady pace ,” he said .
Al-Zoubi added that in healthcare , cloud adoption is helping to future-proof hospital infrastructures , where the rapid uptake of bandwidth-rich clinical applications , such as telehealth , digital imaging and remote monitoring require agile digital systems to enable secure sharing and storage of data , as well as greater operational efficiencies .
“ In education , cloud services are empowering educators to create connected classrooms , quickly deploy virtual learning applications that enhance engagement and enable teachers to individualise learning , based on performance data and each student ’ s personal learning style ,” he said . “ Cloud security is helping IT staff reduce risk , via more scalable and up-to-date threat intelligence solutions , while cloud-based collaboration technologies are creating more interactive learning environments – irrespective of where the user may be .”
IBM ’ s Ratshefola emphasised that CIOs are looking to improve efficiencies in the midst of ever-increasing complexities . “ We believe that we have introduced solutions and services to help them navigate this and the next year will really be about expanding on this and
Osama Al-Zoubi , CTO , Cisco Middle East and Africa
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