There can be little doubt as to the impact cloud computing is having on the African technological environment. On a continent where physical infrastructure can still be a challenge, cloud computing eliminates the complexity of implementing and managing IT infrastructure, services and applications in-house, instead delivering both infrastructure and services on-demand.
An analysis conducted by consulting firm McKinsey has indicated that close to half (45%) of African corporate operations have been migrated to the public cloud. Unsurprisingly, this shift to cloud solutions has essentially been driven by the huge demand for scalable and cost-effective IT infrastructure, which is, in turn, necessary to support businesses’ wide-ranging digital transformation programmes.
Many African organisations are choosing to leverage hybrid cloud solutions, as these are designed to mix the public and private cloud environments in a seamless manner. In this way, companies not only have the required levels of flexibility, but also the granular control they need to effectively manage both their data and and the storage methods needed for this information.
At the same time, an increasing number of organisations are utilising multicloud solutions as a means to avoid single-provider dependency. At the same time, such an approach assists in improving their operations in three critical areas, namely: performance; regulatory compliance; and cost-effectiveness.
It is here that the BCX Cloud Ecosystem offers businesses vast advantages in that it enables different cloud platforms to serve and accommodate different customer requirements and specific functions. It is a technology that provides both innovatory cloud deployment models and an established approach to digital infrastructure transformation.
Critical industries
Africa’s charge towards cloud adoption is being led by three critical industries on the continent, namely the financial services sector, the telecommunications arena and the oil and gas industry.
While the financial services sector has been slow on the uptake of cloud technology, banks and fintech companies in more developed areas – such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa – have increasingly been driving this trend. Often, these institutions adopt a hybrid strategy, which suits them best in serving the rapidly growing mobile banking market, while also assisting in confronting challenges like data ownership rules, limited connectivity facilities in certain areas and cyber security concerns.
From a telecommunications perspective, operators have been joining forces with cloud service providers to establish local data centres. Such an approach means they are more quickly able to address delays and comply with privacy standards. They are further leveraging cloud technology as a way to improve network management and deliver improved client experiences through services like mobile money platforms. In the oil and gas sector, many entities are utilising the cloud to benefit data analytics, resource modelling and supply chain improvement. They also seek to leverage it to boost operational efficiencies and lower costs – something that is critical, given the fluctuating oil prices.
A key driver of cloud adoption in Africa has been the massive proliferation of internet of things (IOT) devices, coupled to the need for real-time data processing capabilities. This demand has seen edge computing being established as a transformational advanced computing framework, one that allows data to be processed close to its place of origin. On a continent as large as Africa, the benefits of edge computing include significantly reduced latency and increased bandwidth optimisation.
The future is bright for cloud computing in Africa, as – despite ongoing difficulties with security, recruitment and retention, and regulatory compliance – the use of this technology is rising across most industries, providing huge opportunities for improved productivity and continuous growth.
The cloud has undoubtedly impacted African business operations positively, thanks to the way it has enabled increased flexibility, inventiveness and excellence in operation. Of course, in what is a rapidly evolving arena, industry decision-makers need to stay on top of trends like multicloud planning and artificial intelligence integration if they wish to maintain a competitive advantage.
Organisations should partner with an African systems integrator like BCX in order to fully grasp the potential of cloud technology, and to strategically implement unique cloud frameworks and industry-specific solutions that can ensure they are viewed as digital transformation leaders.
Ultimately, working with a partner like BCX to conduct a thorough examination of business requirements and technological capabilities will allow these organisations to develop a strategy to ensure the efficient deployment of cloud resources. This will help them to foster ongoing innovation and growth within Africa’s corporate landscape.
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