In the last decade, African businesses have seen a significant increase in cloud usage. However, it still has the smallest global cloud market share compared to other regions across the globe.
To meet up with the other advanced regions in delivering innovative, efficient IT infrastructure and products, African CTOs, CIOS and business leaders need to find unique, personalized solutions tailored to their needs and the African context.
Adopting a private cloud strategy may be one of those solutions, as a private cloud can be tailored to specific needs and budget. However, finding the right solution, setting the right strategy, choosing the right technology, employing the right experts and not falling into the trap of trying to get out to the market too fast are only some of the difficulties along the way. But there are main mistakes to avoid when starting your private cloud journey.
WHAT IS A PRIVATE HOSTED CLOUD ?
Private cloud is a type of cloud service where all software and hardware resources are dedicated exclusively to the needs and goals of a single organization. Unlike public clouds that are available for multiple organizations, private clouds are dedicated to the needs of one organization.
In a private hosted cloud, the service provider handles hardware maintenance, software updates, and network configuration while the server is exclusively occupied and managed by the organization.
The advantages of a private cloud include the following:
- Complete autonomy over hardware and software
- High capacity for customization
- Increased security, privacy, and visibility over network and infrastructure assets
- Better overall performance because resources are allocated exclusively to one organization
- Enables strict compliance with regulatory policies and standards
5 BIGGEST MISTAKES TO WATCH OUT FOR!
1. Failure to Plan Entire Cloud Strategy
This remains a huge challenge on the continent–and perhaps globally as well. Years of poor infrastructure and governmental restrictions have left upper management wary of implementing sudden changes. As one CTO in research on cloud adoption in Africa expressed, “…it is difficult to get the ‘buying’ [consent] from the top [management]”.
CTOs should endeavor to convince the management team of the importance and benefits of private clouds. Conversations on this should yield a clear, step-by-step strategy for automating core processes in the cloud. But more importantly management needs to understand why private cloud, define clear objectives and deliverables. This can be in different stages. Having your private cloud does not end with the configurations of an infrastructure. Once a private cloud in place, the potential for development and scaling is enormous. It is important to be accompanied by experienced cloud consultants who understand the African context and can guide you on this journey.
2. Not Mindful of Limited Resources (Budget, Engineers, Skills)
Planning is one thing, but having the budget, skills, and infrastructure for cloud adoption is another. Several businesses still suffer from limited budgets and a high skills shortage.
This is especially true in this era of remote work; most engineers prefer to work remotely for global brands that offer higher pay rates. And that’s without considering the lack of infrastructure they have to compensate for, such as poor internet connection and irregular power supply.
These challenges, however, should not deter anyone. When starting their private cloud journey, African businesses should endeavor to automate manual tasks, optimize their processes, and choose software solutions that meet their needs. That way, they can reduce staffing and maintenance expenses, lower time to market, and enable greater productivity.
3. Deficiency in Training and Improving Engineers
When adopting private clouds, African companies will need the services of System Architects and System Administrators to design truly independent and personalized cloud infrastructure, software instances, and databases.
Even though a cloud strategy helps reduce manual overhead and personnel needs, enterprises still need someone to help maintain the cloud infrastructure. Not every skill shortage issue requires staffing up, especially if there are not enough professionals skilled in that private cloud. This is where training becomes vital.
Businesses can train their staff to maintain the cloud infrastructure through resource provisioning, load balancing, CI/CD, and more. And in the event of an operating system or server failure, these African companies will have a dedicated IT team to help address and resolve any issues.
4. Choosing the Wrong Software for Your Tech Stack
Often, CTOs can prefer the cheapest but most effective option over the most secure and reliable one. This is another reason why several applications on the continent still suffer from massive bouts of downtime. These issues leave several consumers frustrated, prompting them to seek more efficient, high-uptime alternatives.
5. Putting Security, Privacy, and Compliance Last
Building a tech infrastructure in an environment with a rather loose and irregular attitude to regulations can lead to poor compliance or security. It’s not unusual for many African tech companies to put safety and compliance at the bottom of their priority list.
These may lead them to choose cheaper, less secure software alternatives. In the short term, it may not present a problem, but it can be detrimental to a business that aims to grow beyond the shores of the continent. Plus, it can also negatively impact funding opportunities.
By embracing private cloud, African businesses can build security and compliance into their infrastructure. In addition, they get to customize their cloud infrastructure to adhere to governance, compliance, and security conditions whenever necessary.
Getting Started With a Private Cloud
As African companies seek to compete with other global brands, implementing the right infrastructure is an excellent place to start. Businesses should consider personalized software solutions that cater specifically to their needs while offering high uptime, automated solutions, and adhering to compliance and security standards.
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