3 Reasons Public Sector Organisations Should Make a Move to the Cloud

In recent years, cloud computing has catapulted and, particularly in the last 24 months, the adoption of cloud technologies has become of greater importance than ever before.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, there was a drive to provide technology solutions that allow access to systems away from the traditional office environment like we’d never seen before. Reducing the cost of traditional IT equipment and the ability to take advantage of the incredible computing power available also became front and centre for the many organisations affected.

But why should public sector organisations who haven’t yet made the move to the cloud still consider doing so today? 

What is cloud technology?

‘Cloud computing’ is the term used to describe a range of technologies and services delivered over the internet, including software, servers, networks, databases, storage, analytics and intelligence.

Incredibly, it’s believed that by 2025, over 100 zettabytes of data will be stored in the cloud – that’s equal to 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes!

Why should public sector organisations make the move to the cloud?

Cost savings

One of the key benefits of opting for cloud computing over is the reduction in cost when compared to traditional IT systems. The upkeep and maintenance of on-premise systems, refreshing redundant hardware and hosting servers, can all be removed through a SaaS subscription from a relevant provider.

Improved project delivery time, improved responsiveness to change, scalability of resources (where you only pay for what you consume) all add to the overall cost effectiveness of cloud computing, as well.

With public sector cuts, the pressure to find cost savings can be felt across different industries, so a move to the cloud could just be the answer.

Enhanced security

One major concern faced by public sector organisations who are considering storing data away from their own premises is data security, and of course, it isn’t hard to understand why.

It’s important for these public sector organisations to know that when used in conjunction with a rigorous Information Security Policy, cloud technologies can offer additional levels of data security through tools such as Azure Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection and Azure Security centre, which reduces the risk of security breach by up to 25% and a reduction in the number of threats requiring mitigation by 86%.

Cloud technologies typically achieve data security through several methods, including complex data encryption for data in transit and when at rest, firewalls, user authentication and identification.

Alongside data security, additional safety and security is provided in the event of unforeseen circumstances – and when 60% of small businesses that lose their data cease to trade within six months of that happening, the importance of a disaster recovery solution cannot be understated.

Cloud computing provides the facility to recover lost data and information quickly and effectively. With data stored in secure data centres, it can be quickly restored, and business can resume without the serious impacts that accompany on-premise installation issues.

Flexibility

Cloud technology meets the ever-important need for flexibility and mobility, enabling successful remote work for public sector teams, no matter their role. By allowing a user the flexibility to capture information live while away from a head office (for example, on a site visit), time and resource is saved upon that employee’s return.

With this flexibility, collaboration becomes a simple process, as teams can easily share information and access a single view of the customer.