Many companies have been treating cloud computing, mobility and social media as separate silos - serving different business needs. However, they are all interrelated and their true potential can be unlocked only when companies utilize them as a single entity to address different business goals and needs.
APAC in the driver's seat
Opportunities are already ripe in Asia Pacific as experts expect the region to lead in growth and adoption of cloud and mobile technology. The results are already beginning to show - according to Frost & Sullivan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia are the next hotbeds of cloud adoption and the Asia Pacific market for cloud computing is expected to grow at 36.5% between 2013 and 2016.
Concurrently, analysts are expecting smartphone shipment in the region to rise to approximately 380 million by 2016. Businesses are already capitalizing on these opportunities as industry reports suggest 34% of corporate businesses in Asia Pacific are already practicing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and are increasingly turning to social media to interact with their customers and employees, as well as to build their brand.
The most successful companies will be those that are able to easily transition their existing infrastructure to integrate cloud computing, mobility, and social media into their daily business process. To do so seamlessly, I believe there are three key areas which businesses should look into for 2013. They are:
Using the right integration tools
A global survey by KPMG found the top challenge companies using cloud computing face is the high cost of implementation and transition into the cloud from existing infrastructure.
The respondents indicated the cost to be too high to meet allocated budget to IT. In fact, I don't think there is such a thing as a separate IT budget anymore as the expectations from the backend has changed significantly. CIOs are now expected to contribute meaningfully to the overall business by generating value.