Demystifying Cloud Computing and How Businesses Can Leverage Cloud Technology

The Cloud and Cloud Computing has been around much longer than most people realize. With its roots going back to the early 1960s, the capabilities and applications for Cloud Computing have expanded greatly over the decades. In fact, the most recent TD SYNNEX industry survey revealed that hybrid cloud solutions are a top priority for businesses.

The earliest uses allowed more than one person (that’s right, we’re talking about two or three people) to access a computer’s programs at one time. This evolved into the “virtualization of computers” in the 1970s, 1980, and 1990s, ultimately leading to what we now refer to as Cloud Computing.

Amazon changed the game in the early 2000s by implementing its web-based retail services, and the next 20 years saw the proliferation of the Cloud and Cloud Computing into almost every aspect of our lives.

While most of us have heard the terms, there’s still a lot of confusion about what the Cloud is, how it’s used, and what businesses can do to leverage Cloud technology. We sat down with TD SYNNEX Vice President of Cloud and ISV Ecosystems Shannon Warner, who was recently named one of the CRN Women of the Channel, to help us demystify the Cloud.

Demystifying the Cloud with Shannon Warner

What is the Cloud or Cloud Computing?

In simple terms, the Cloud allows people to access data and applications via the Internet from any device. Typically, data is stored and processed centrally in distributed data centers around the world instead of on a user’s computer or a company’s data center.

How long the cloud has been around?

The Cloud has been around for some time, and probably longer than many would think. There are very early use cases of network-based computing back in the 1960s and accessing applications via the web started in the 1990s.

Cloud Computing was popularized in the early 2000s when large companies like Amazon and Google started using the term Cloud Computing to describe the big shifts where people were accessing applications, data, and files via the web instead of directly on their desktops.

Talk about the evolution of the Cloud in the marketplace

Utilization of the Cloud has evolved over time, but it’s ubiquitous in today’s business landscape. There are different categories when you think about use cases for the Cloud, but Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is where most people would have encountered it.

Think about some of the examples that impact our daily business lives, like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or even companies like Dropbox where users pay for an application service on a per-user basis. These are all examples of how the Cloud has been utilized in the marketplace.

We’re also seeing use cases around Platform-as-a-Service, which refers to the development, deployment, and management of a platform in the Cloud that provides app developers the ability to build and deliver their applications via the web. Another area experiencing growth is Infrastructure-as-a-Service, where companies and application providers can access storage and network resources on demand instead of maintaining their own company data centers.

As companies think about Cloud migration, what key aspects should they prioritize, and what advice would you give them?

When companies think about cloud migration, they need to focus on their use cases first, and the business problems they’re trying to solve. From there, they need to consider the various factors that come into play when considering a transition to the cloud, like cost control, performance, flexibility, scalability, and security, as well as business continuity and disaster recovery. These are all areas that are really important for businesses to consider.

How should businesses approach a Cloud strategy to ensure longevity and relevance in their market or segment?

When businesses are thinking about their Cloud strategy, it’s important to recognize that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. The decision to host on premises within a company, in a data center, in a hybrid Cloud environment, or even to fully embrace the public Cloud can be very situational and evolve over time. It’s important to always think about what your Cloud services use case is and what are you trying to solve for.

As companies become more sophisticated, we’re seeing them embrace a multi-Cloud strategy where certain use cases are best suited with one Cloud solution while others are a better fit for a different solution.

It’s a crowded Cloud marketplace, so talk about some of the used cases where TD SYNNEX has made a significant impact in the market.

TD SYNNEX has been on this journey for a while, and our focus is on delivering value to our vendors and partners. We’ve also seen a lot of momentum in the data storage segment, as well as Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions, and we’ve enabled thousands of partners to sell these solutions.

TD SYNNEX has robust partnerships with the 3 major hyperscalers — Microsoft , Amazon Web Services, and Google. Additionally, we have a strong and growing Cloud, data and security vendor portfolio, and we position ourselves in the Cloud marketplace by servicing our customers in three critical ways.

First, we have our own Cloud marketplace platform — StreamOne — where partners can purchase and provision hyperscaler and ISV solutions, inclusive of Cloud, data and security offerings. Second, TD SYNNEX enables our customers to participate in the hyperscaler marketplaces via private offer programs that enable end customers to purchase ISV solutions through these marketplaces. Third, TD SYNNEX has strong go-to-market and partner enablement resources and programs to help vendors grow their partner base, and also for partners to expand their portfolio and practices.

Ultimately, the breadth of the TD SYNNEX cloud portfolio, our cloud platform capabilities and our extensive partner base allows us to stand out in the market.

What emerging technologies do you see as pivotal in the next phase of Cloud evolution?

There’s a lot of dynamic happening in the Cloud marketplace, but we see three major areas that are driving the evolution of the Cloud space.

The first one is data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is a big segment for TD SYNNEX, and we’re seeing a lot of strength in the market. The pervasiveness of generative AI and opportunities that it’s unlocking show the growing need for data-driven decision making. The expansion of these AI applications has led to increased demand for Cloud-based data storage processing power and advanced analytic tools that Cloud services can readily provide.

The second area is cybersecurity and compliance. Data, security and compliance continues to be top of mind for organizations, and we’ve seen a lot of momentum in this space this year. Whether you’re a large enterprise or small business, cyber security is very relevant, and as the demand for Cloud increases, the need for data to be secured, managed and accessed will grow accordingly.

The third area is digital transformation. Businesses across various industries have been bracing for digital transformation to modernize their operations to improve efficiencies and stay competitive. You don’t have to be a technology company to embrace digital transformation. It’s transforming everything that businesses are doing and Cloud services play a critical role in enabling this transformation.

Cloud technology, much like the rest of the industry, is evolving quickly and the TD SYNNEX experts are here to keep you updated. Be sure to check out more of the TD SYNNEX Demystifying Series, and get the latest technology industry trends and news on the TD SYNNEX LinkedIn and Instagram pages.