10 OCT, 2019
Lukman, J.
Paper Source: http://secure.wis-digital.com/SAP_partner/2019_WhitePapers/Google_ERP_in_the_Cloud.pdf
The word “cloud’ or “cloud computing” have become cliché, even amongst the not-very-tech-savvy. In the early days, cloud usually referred to as just storage alone. Today, we use the terms ‘cloud storage’ to refer to databases that exist in cloud servers and “cloud infrastructure” as hardware/virtual servers where applications can be run. In some quarters, this is referred to as Infrastructure as service. In addition, an entire software can also be housed in the cloud i.e. the application, the infrastructure and other services it requires to function.
The paper highlights the fact that many companies are realizing the disadvantage of using the current systems as they predate the era of machine learning IoT etc. Programming languages and concepts of software development have long evolved and the paper posits that corporate establishments must keep up with modern trends. The paper posits that traditionally, ERP systems are deployed using on-site infrastructure and that corporate establishments are fast adopting the more appealing, cheaper, less complex, more flexible and easier to maintain cloud based solutions.
The paper argues that a key advantage of adopting cloud solutions is the fact that costs usually associated with maintenance is channeled to other parts of the business likely to add more value. In addition, the advent of big data and AI, companies are migrating the backbone of their data management and AI systems to the cloud it is cheaper and much more efficient in processing large data sets. This importance cannot be overemphasized as the cost of the infrastructure needed to compute large sets of data for the purpose of machine learning is pretty high.
When Linus Trovalds came up with the concept of open source, it was thought that open source software will not be monetized. Today there are proprietary versions of open source software. The author posts that some open source cloud based applications have strengthened cloud systems with customization and integration capabilities.
In conclusion, the author reiterated severally the importance of migrating existing software systems to the cloud. The benefits includes cost saving, competitiveness, flexibility and scalability.
Reference
Cook, J (2019) Cloud Migration Risks and Benefits Available Online: https://cloudacademy.com/blog/cloud-migration-benefits-risks/