Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 87 | Page 40

FEATURE : CLOUD SOLUTIONS
Cloud computing is all about speed and agility and being able to quickly pivot as needs change . Over the last three years , the pandemic has showcased the power of cloud in quickly delivering new services , at scale , wherever needed . Industry pundits outline how CIOs and the organisations they lead can be more agile with cloud solutions .
“ The hybrid cloud model is also growing more popular among businesses . It is an ideal choice for many companies because of its capacity to adjust to business demands by moving applications and services between private , public , and on-premise data centres . Furthermore , IT decision-makers favour hybrid cloud solutions due to their multiple benefits in terms of flexibility and cost savings ,” he said .
Sherelle Farrington , Cloud Security Solutions Manager , Fortinet , said : “ We see huge variations in terms of cloud adoption in the Middle East and Africa ( MEA ). Local initiatives , such as Qatar ’ s National Vision 2030 , which has placed cloud computing at the heart of its digital strategy , are often key drivers but the advantages cloud offers is powering diverse digital initiatives across the region .”

Cloud-based solutions refer to ondemand services , computer networks , storage , applications or resources accessed via the Internet and through another provider ’ s shared cloud computing infrastructure .

The benefits of cloud solutions to end users and businesses include increased capacity , scalability , functionality and reduced maintenance and cost for computer infrastructure or in-house staff . Additionally , cloud-based solutions can enable companies to focus on revenue driving initiatives rather than timeconsuming , non-core business tasks .
According to the International Data Corporation ( IDC ), the GCC public cloud market will more than double in value by 2024 , reaching roughly US $ 2.3 billion .
Gaurav Mohan , VP , SAARC and Middle East , NETSCOUT , said cloud computing is becoming increasingly important for today ’ s businesses . Mohan said recognising the benefits of these technologies , companies across industries are developing and revising cloud strategies to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives .
With organisations increasing the adoption of cloudbased solutions across various verticals in the region CIOs are being urged to develop robust cloud strategies for their organisations .
Farrington said cloud is all about speed and agility – being able to quickly pivot as needs change . “ The pandemic showcased the power of cloud in quickly delivering new services , at scale , wherever needed . Healthcare providers were able to build new applications online for testing and vaccinations , research organisations were able to collaborate to accelerate vaccine development , and governments were able to easily share data and health guidance . What was critical though was also building security into each of these services .
“ As always , fraudsters , scammers , and other threat actors were quick to take advantage of the situation . For instance , by creating bots that would quickly reserve all vaccination slots and then sell them to the highest bidders , or ransomware gangs targeting healthcare institutions . Cloud-based and cloud native security from cybersecurity leaders make it simple and easy for organisations to face this daily onslaught of attacks .”

How organisations can be more agile with cloud solutions

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