The Cloud: A Key Enabler for Digital Transformation

If digital transformation allows businesses to keep up with evolving consumer behavior, the Cloud drives agility and innovation to make this transformation possible. What comes to mind when thinking about the Cloud is an offsite cluster of virtual machines for data storage. While this is true, it barely scratches the surface as cloud computing offers so much more. It grants access to a broad range of technologies that can help you build a robust business model.

It boosts business resiliency.

By backing up data and systems in the Cloud, companies can ensure critical business information is readily accessible. This translates to continuous operations even during an unforeseen calamity. COVID-19 may have taken the world by surprise, but companies that have already begun cloud migration now find better footing in the new normal.

A white paper on the link between business agility and cloud computing shows how cloud migration delivers results across industries. In the education and public sectors, cloud solutions aid in rapid decision-making for providing dynamic services during unexpected events. Healthcare organizations improve patient management through safe and reliable access of electronic health records, thereby reducing risks associated with the medical practice. Retail banks can deliver secure mobile services faster to the market, giving customers greater control of their finances in crucial times.

It sparks innovation and improved customer experience.

Due to mobility concerns in this pandemic, people turned to digital channels for their daily activities and transactions. They favored businesses offering good customer service in a safe and secure environment. Because of this, established companies using legacy systems were challenged by agile startups able to deliver services digitally. To remain relevant and competitive, various enterprises have pivoted in addressing new consumer needs.

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), a long-established bank in the country, continues to innovate to keep up with the times. Its commitment to progress enables the bank to maintain a leading position in the financial sector. BPI’s secure and convenient online banking services (set up in the Cloud) saw a 25% increase in usage in just two weeks during the quarantine period. With the help of data gathering through the Cloud, the bank can accurately respond to actual customer needs in a timely manner.

In the healthcare industry, AC Health’s integrated ecosystem provides quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare for Filipinos. Its cloud-based platforms, AIDE (home healthcare services) and MedGrocer (medicine delivery), continue to serve patients needing access to care amidst the crisis. AC Health also partnered with Globe’s 917 Ventures to create HealthNow, a free all-in-one health app that connects patients to doctors and other healthcare services anytime, anywhere.

It optimizes cost.

Businesses gain financial flexibility by trading capital expenses, which cover physical and data servers, for operating expenses on a pay-per-use model. This empowers companies to allocate funds in areas that need it most. Before you migrate workloads into the Cloud, consult with experts to determine the right strategy based on industry best practices. By conducting a proof of concept (POC), cloud providers can give valuable insights—including potential spending—so you are equipped with knowledge before you invest. Once on the Cloud, you may also avail of other pricing plans that yield higher savings like reserved capacity or volume-based usage, allowing you to manage your costs as you scale.

Wherever you are in your journey, teaming up with a trusted cloud partner creates many business benefits. You gain more resources to focus on your core products and services as you ease your worries on day-to-day IT operations.

Aside from strategizing for cloud migration, POCs come in handy as you innovate and expand your business. These can help determine the financial viability of concepts you intend to launch. Cloud-based POCs provide a cost-effective way to quickly build test environments that reflect real-world scenarios to match your customers' experiences. You can also collect critical data that your team can use to implement enhancements, reduce wastage, and find quality leads to pursue to boost your conversion rates.

A Trusted Cloud Expert: Your Partner in the Digital Journey

More than a decade ago, Globe started its digital journey through a network modernization project. Its Information Technology (IT) arm shifted from being transactional to having a bigger role in the company: to deliver reliable scalable platforms and increase agility while keeping costs down. To achieve this, the company partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in defining a clear digital roadmap that begins with a cloud-first strategy. The latter provided critical support from the start, including organizational training, architectural design, and migration of 50 percent of infrastructure to the Cloud. Globe has not stopped since, going on to take a cloud-unified approach which includes consolidating IT, network, and enterprise data centers.

With expert advice from AWS, Globe reduced its total cost of ownership by 30 percent, increased application performance by 15 times, and shortened provisioning from three months to mere hours, allowing the company to experiment and innovate. The company’s multiple migration projects from Oracle to AWS resulted in four times better performance at one-tenth of the cost.

This transformation cannot be done in a traditional environment where costs are high and processes are long. The Cloud has given Globe the flexibility and ability for continuous innovation.

Globe Cloud Solutions: Your Tools for Business Resilience

Today, Globe is one of the biggest cloud users in the country. Having undergone its own digital transformation, the company has years of experience under its belt to bring digital transformation for Philippine enterprises.

In its thrust to continually build a robust technology portfolio, Globe teamed up with Cascadeo, a US-based company with award-winning cloud-native consulting and managed services. This synergy expands Globe Business' line of cloud-based solutions for enterprises to stay competitive in the digital age. The combined team of experts can provide an in-depth analysis of the right cloud strategy based on your business goals, assist with your cloud migration, and automate its operations. To further optimize your cloud setup and help save on costs, they can conduct well-architected reviews based on industry best practices.

The current pandemic is a reminder that digital transformation should no longer be a faraway goal—it is now a requirement for business continuity and IT resiliency. The future is indeed digital, and having a credible cloud partner is invaluable in achieving long-term business results. Together with other leading platform providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and VMWare, Globe offers globally competitive solutions so you can accelerate your digital transformation through the cloud.

Gain a competitive advantage through resilient business operations powered by Globe Cloud Solutions.  Visit our website  or  arrange a consultation with your Globe Business Account Manager today.