Cloud computing has revolutionized the IT infrastructure of countless businesses around America and the world, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. As a quick reminder, cloud computing is the process of using a network of remote servers, like the ones provided by Google, instead of a local server or personal computer, to store, manage, and process data. Companies have found such value in cloud computing for a number of reasons, including the cost savings involved in no longer relying on in-house server storage and security costs.
As time goes on, more businesses are sharing how cloud computing has allowed them to become more innovative than ever before, and their stories prove that cloud computing is a valuable asset for companies in every market.
Finding Innovation in the Cloud
For example, El Corte Ingles, the largest department store in Europe, made the move to cloud computing in 2014. The cloud allowed for real-time inventory updates, which in turn allowed the company to create new services like “click and collect,” in which customers can order online and pick up in store. This type of appealing service would have been a more complex and drawn out process without the cloud to simplify the process. The Bay Area Rapid Transit system in Northern California found similar value in the cloud when using it to rapidly develop and deliver a polit mobile app for its riders.
These are just two instances in which major companies relied upon cloud computing to link data, services, and fresh ideas together to support innovation on a secure and open platform. Though the cloud was once a nebulous concept considered only valuable to techies, it has by far proven itself as a practical tool that is gradually becoming the backbone of large corporations and small businesses alike.