The industrial sector is becoming increasingly involved in the development of its IT systems. Cloud computing is no longer a novelty, it is being adopted more and more widely in business. Last year’s Polcom and Intel report showed that more than half of the companies surveyed had already implemented cloud solutions, with a further 26 percent planning to do so by the end of 2023. Cloud services provide businesses with a wide range of benefits, from increasing operational efficiency to ensuring data security. What is the most important focus to fully exploit the potential of cloud computing?
Efficiency meets cyber security
The current challenge is to bring companies in the industrial sector into compliance with the EU NIS2 directive. It is the responsibility of the entities covered by the directive to ensure an appropriate level of cyber security, including having tools for detecting and reporting incidents. Such a tool could be the Polcom Security Operations Center service, which guarantees continuous monitoring of IT infrastructure, with a team of people working 24/7 to respond to incidents in real-time.
Operational optimization through the cloud
One of the key motivations for the industry increasingly moving towards cloud computing is its potential to increase operational efficiency. Cloud computing services provide flexible resource management, tailored to current needs, resulting in optimized operational and cost efficiencies. What’s more, the cloud offers scalability that enables the IT infrastructure to adapt quickly and seamlessly to changing market conditions or to the requirements arising from business growth. This dynamic scalability is particularly important in the industrial sector, where the speed of response to changing conditions is key to remaining competitive. With cloud computing, industrial companies can manage their IT resources more efficiently, avoiding overloading the infrastructure during periods of lower demand and ensuring sufficient resources during intensive operations. In turn, this translates into increased flexibility, productivity, and operational profitability for the industry.
New challenges, new solutions
Data and application security is a key challenge for the industry in the face of increasing cyber-attacks. Cloud computing, with its advanced protection and encryption mechanisms, provides a high level of security for the information stored in it. Cloud providers are implementing security solutions at multiple levels.
Integrated cloud solutions
Cloud computing enables easy integration of different systems and applications, resulting in improved workflows and collaboration between departments within a company. Through integration, companies can easily share data and information, eliminating barriers between different areas of the business. Virtualization, as an integral part of cloud services, allows the creation and management of virtual environments. As a result, companies can easily create and test new solutions, without having to invest in dedicated test environments. Cloud environments also make it possible to optimize resources and reduce costs associated with IT infrastructure.
Infrastructure sustainability and flexibility
Industrial IT infrastructure management requires constant monitoring and analysis to ensure high service availability and optimize resources. Cloud computing offers advanced tools for monitoring performance and resource usage, which enable rapid detection and response to potential problems. Combined with an SLA from the cloud provider, businesses can ensure the continuity of systems and minimize the risk of business interruption.
Adapting to new trends is indispensable for continued growth in the industrial sector. Cloud computing proposes flexible, secure, and regulatory-compliant solutions that can support companies in their efforts to achieve sustainable growth.