TALKING

Digital building blocks

Even though public and private cloud models provide benefits , we anticipate the hybrid cloud model to win the race for massive adoption .

Putting the building blocks in place for a successful Digital Transformation plan that can simplify the cloud transition is critical . An organisation needs to have end-to-end service capabilities in place . Discussions around the cloud and digital transformation have all centred on how to enable this service . complexity of the migration . There is also a reduction in IT budgets to consider . Across the board , companies in the region are seeing a change in ownership take place when it comes to these budgets , which are now moving from the CIO into the rest of the business . Practically , retaining and attracting the right skills for cloud adoption is an ongoing problem .

Organisations must also be constantly vigilant regarding security and compliance as driven by the various regulatory institutions . Additionally , the infrastructure must meet the performance requirements of a cloud-driven environment . Fortunately , Kenya has seen ongoing investments in infrastructure pay off to mitigate concerns around having access to fast and reliable connectivity .

Companies also need cloud expertise . Some skills are transferrable , while others are not . A platform approach to discovery , management , and development across multiple technologies forms part of this discussion . It entails balancing between upskilling existing resources and using trusted third parties .

Throughout this , cost optimisation becomes essential if organisations are to be more efficient around their IT spending and reduce the total ownership cost .

Commercial models must become more flexible . The consumption has changed from CAPEX to OPEX . Therefore , business and technology leaders need flexibility both in terms of their mindset and the business ’ s operational model to fully align to a hybrid cloud model .

Another obstacle to consider is how a company can derive the maximum benefit from the data it has at its disposal . With data being the new currency , many businesses need to understand how best to unlock the potential of their data .

Yet , the cloud has proven its value to the region , and it will only contribute to accelerated efficiencies . But for this to happen , organisations need to be more open and adaptive to change to ensure they can future-proof their operations . p

32 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com