by Argantic director Richard Shaw
Professional services play a critical role in helping businesses to adopt cloud technologies and successfully undergo digital transformation. These services provide businesses with the expertise, experience, and support needed to navigate the complexities of cloud computing and digital transformation, ensuring that technology investments deliver the desired results.
The widespread adoption of cloud computing has changed the way businesses approach professional services. Cloud-based solutions offer flexible, scalable, and cost-effective alternatives to traditional on-premise technology solutions. As a result, professional services in ICT are increasingly focused on cloud migrations, cloud security, and cloud management.
Professional services are an essential part of any cloud adoption and digital transformation strategy. They provide businesses with the expertise, experience, and support needed to ensure that their technology investments deliver the desired results and help them to remain competitive in today’s rapidly changing business environment.
Whether you’re looking to migrate to the cloud or develop custom software applications, professional services can help you to achieve your goals and stay ahead of the competition.
Businesses need to understand that IT is an investment – not a cost. One of the primary benefits of professional services in cloud adoption is the ability to ensure a smooth and efficient migration process.
With the help of experienced professionals, businesses can plan, design, and implement cloud solutions that are aligned with their business objectives and meet their specific requirements. This includes assessing the current technology landscape, identifying the best cloud solutions, and developing a comprehensive migration plan.
Another critical aspect of professional services in cloud adoption is security. Cloud solutions offer many benefits, but they also introduce new security risks. Professional security services can help businesses to secure their cloud environments, protecting their data and intellectual property. This includes implementing security solutions, such as encryption and identity management, as well as ongoing security monitoring and management.
Professional services have a critical role to play in digital transformation, helping businesses to leverage new technologies and improve their operations. Whether it’s developing new digital products, improving customer experiences, or streamlining business processes, professional services can provide the expertise, guidance, and support needed to achieve the desired outcomes.
Risks of not modernising
A good example of a company that failed to modernise its scheduling systems, relying on outdated technologies, was Southwest Airlines. When its systems recently failed, the airline couldn’t return to business and more than 15 000 flights were cancelled, with hundreds of thousands of passengers left stranded.
This largely as a result of executive management repeatedly not approving the spending to modernise their systems – something that could have been avoided if the airline had modernised their scheduling application and made use of external profession services. We need regulations and more accountability or we could experience more catastrophes like this.
Technical debt
Technical Debt is largely due to management not spending the money they should and banking it as ‘savings’ or ‘value’. This is essentially kicking the can down the road, same as not going to the dentist or not servicing your car. When you eventually pay, it costs a lot more. This ‘debt’ is not reflected on a balance sheet and we believe it should to highlight to shareholders and investors what the potential future revenue consequence is.
No company – big or small – can continue to rely on old technologies – this is known as incurring ‘technical debt’. It is the cost of maintaining and enhancing legacy systems over time – refusing to transform to the cloud. The fact is, the longer this is postponed, the larger the technical debt becomes, and the more it will cost to address in the future.
Technical debt can be classified into two types: intentional and unintentional. Intentional technical debt is when a company knowingly takes on debt by non-delivery of modernisation, regardless of the risk or consequences of this action. Unintentional technical debt occurs when a team is unaware of the trade-off they are making or is unaware of the consequences of their actions.
Time to transform
The demand for professional services in ICT has never been higher, and it is now an essential part of any business strategy. These services are provided by skilled and knowledgeable professionals who understand the intricacies of the latest technologies and can help businesses to make the most of their ICT investments.
Businesses can mitigate risks and ensure that cloud transformation is delivered smoothly and efficiently. Professional services help to ensure that the technology solutions are aligned with the overall business strategy, reducing the risk of wasted investments and helping to achieve the desired results.
With the help of trained technicians, businesses can resolve technology issues quickly and effectively, reducing downtime and increasing productivity. Technicians can also provide advice and guidance on how to optimise technology systems to achieve better performance and cost savings.
Managed Services
As technology becomes more complex and businesses look to reduce costs, managed services are becoming increasingly popular. Managed services provide businesses with a flexible and cost-effective way to outsource technology management, freeing up internal resources and allowing businesses to focus on their core operations. From network management and security to application support and data management, managed services are becoming an essential part of any professional services strategy.
In conclusion, professional services are essential for businesses to succeed in today’s rapidly changing technology landscape. With the help of skilled and knowledgeable professionals, businesses can ensure that their technology investments are delivering the desired results, and that they are protected against cyber threats.
Whether you are looking to implement new technology solutions, resolve technology issues, or improve your cybersecurity posture, professional services can help you to achieve your goals and stay competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment.