Why IT leaders need to prioritise cloud training this year

Last year we witnessed an overnight tectonic shift in the business world. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital transformation as well as remote working while companies navigated through its repercussions. Cloud computing is at the heart of this inevitable transformation. A report by NASSCOM states that Cloud adoption by organisations rose 80% during the first half of the financial year 2021. This shift to the Cloud provides businesses of all types and sizes an edge in the ultra-competitive market, while aiding them to fast-track the delivery of innovative solutions that focus on consumers.

Cloud computing today is not just a storage service but a crucial innovation platform for organisations. It provides companies all-time access to information and zero disruption to business functions thereby enabling agility and cost reduction. In today's digital-first landscape, ignoring Cloud would mean losing the competitive edge it offers. Thus, it becomes imperative for IT leaders and organisations to make Cloud training a priority. Furthermore, Cloud technologies will enable companies to recognise opportunities and stimulate innovation across their business operations. According to the recent India Enterprise Cloud Survey 2020 by Yotta, India’s Cloud spending is predicted to grow at 15-17% in 2021. And there’s a good reason why Cloud training should be a top priority for your organization.

Cloud-smart workforce for agility: Cloud is now impacting every facet of every business. The massive adoption of Cloud has presented significant challenges for companies to configure and secure new consumer information properly. This requires organisations to have a Cloud-fluent workforce that will ensure agile customer service in innovative ways.

Efficient data security: The multifarious advantages of Cloud computing make digital transformation of companies faster, easier, and efficient. However, the recent stream of cyber attacks on weak cloud infrastructure has generated a rather dim view of the cloud's silver lining. According to the McAfee Labs Threats Report: April 2021, there were almost 3.1 million external attacks on Cloud user accounts throughout 2020. Providing relevant Cloud training will equip organisations to develop an effective data protection strategy and comprehensive Cloud security.

Transformative infrastructure: As most businesses are now operating in a hybrid, multi-cloud environment, it's the best time for organisations to leverage the advantages of expanded opportunities, whether the solutions are installed on-site or in the Cloud. Cloud computing empowers an organisation's journey toward robust and modern application-first infrastructure. India Enterprise Cloud Survey 2020 states that 63% of the Indian enterprises recognise Cloud as the key mode of infrastructure hosting in 2022. Cloud training will equip the workforce with a strong foundational understanding of Cloud tools and techniques, essential for leveraging the myriad benefits of this agile infrastructure.

Empowering employee experience: In today's rapidly evolving digital environment, Cloud solutions and applications are going to stay, and organisations will require a well-trained workforce to make the most of these services. While on the one hand investing in continuous upskilling for employees will boost their morale and hone their Cloud skills, on the other it makes working remotely far more efficient and convenient for employees by enabling secure, easy access.

Today, companies that want to increase their competitive advantage must embrace Cloud computing solutions. By moving to the Cloud, employees can use their technological resources and help organisations exponentially increase their return on investment (RoI). With private, public and hybrid Cloud environments growing every year, organisations need a well-trained workforce in Cloud and build a strong and secure foundation for success.

By Sarita Digumarti, COO and Co-founder, Jigsaw Academy