In general, cloud native describes the use of the cloud to solve corporate challenges. However, it’s not just about putting systems, applications and workloads in the cloud: the aim is to stimulate a change in thinking and processes. Instead of seeing the cloud as a kind of data center, we need to see it as a business differentiator.
What is a cloud native application in practice?
To understand the cloud native strategy, it’s worth starting by applying a change of mentality to the development process. Rather than simply hosting an application in the cloud, the aim is to use the cloud to transform business.
So it’s about adopting technologies and methodologies that help speed up deployment, increase performance, maximize customer satisfaction and, not least, improve cost efficiency. In short, adopting cloud native means leaving behind the old way of doing things.
Cloud-native applications are therefore approaches to creating and updating resources in order to improve quality and reduce risks in day-to-day operations. It’s a way of creating and running responsive, scalable, fail-safe services in any environment ─ private, public or hybrid cloud.
What are the main benefits of cloud-native architecture?
Although the cloud is in many ways an intangible mechanism, the benefits of developing cloud-native applications are quite tangible. These include:
- accelerated launches, which represent an interesting competitive advantage by speeding up daily (rather than monthly, as is customary) deployments;
- elasticity, which allows intelligent scaling and balances infrastructure resources based on demand;
- process efficiency, which makes it easier to update previously manual and inefficient processes, benefiting employees and customers;
- the speed of innovation, since server limitations are minimized, expanding to new technologies is also much easier.
This makes it easy to understand the importance of including the cloud native effort in the roadmap of the journey to the cloud. Not only in terms of budget control, but especially in terms of maintaining competitiveness in the short, medium and long term. Despite the abstract concept, the cloud is more real than ever.
On the other hand, the cloud native strategy involves a number of challenges. In addition to the cultural change ─ necessary to support the new way of managing the intersection between technology and business ─ you have to deal with legacy resources and, of course, fill skills gaps. The best way to succeed in this endeavor is to rely on complementary expertise.
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