Thilo Schumacher from ADN talks about the status quo of cloud solutions
Thilo Schumacher is Business Development Manager at ADN and an enthusiastic Microsoft Azure expert. He is always on hand to advise taod with his in-depth knowledge. We wanted to know how he assesses the current situation for companies when it comes to cloud solutions.
taod: First of all, tell us something about yourself, Thilo.
Thilo Schumacher: I am in close contact with our partners in particular. ADN supports IT service providers, software manufacturers and system houses that enable their customers to move to the cloud. As a distributor, we are therefore the first point of contact for our partners. My topic is the Microsoft cosmos. I answer questions about Azure on aspects such as security, scalability, performance and data protection. Constantly new questions and new challenges provide me personally with exciting variety. If my partner has a happy customer afterwards, I can close my laptop in the evening with satisfaction."
Tell us your cloud trend for 2021.
Openness towards cloud technologies is probably the most rapid trend I can observe. While the cloud was often a taboo subject in the past, acceptance has increased significantly, not least due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Will this trend continue after the pandemic?
I assume that the cloud boom will continue in 2021 and that the entry into further cloud technologies via communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams is a good first step for companies and whets the appetite for more. The use of Teams, for example, is increasing rapidly. When I think back to how difficult it was to hold a video conference two or three years ago! Today, it's part of everyday life, both professionally and privately.
Accelerated by Corona. Do you think digitalization and, in particular, the use of cloud technology will continue to accelerate so rapidly?
Absolutely. The change is already gigantic. For over a year now, our partners have been experiencing huge demand for cloud solutions. To enable people to work from home and create a virtual environment, many companies have suddenly turned to the cloud. Windows Virtual Desktop, for example, enables secure remote working.
Out of necessity, customers recognize the benefits of cloud management?
Ultimately, many customers benefit from this as they can reduce their infrastructure costs in the long term with cloud solutions. Consumption-based billing, greater security and significantly improved scalability are just some of the advantages of the cloud.
Would you say that the topic has recently become more complex?
What hasn't increased in complexity? I think there's an artificial word called dynaxity, which means that the management of systems and organizations is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic. The cloud is no exception. Ultimately, however, the increased complexity is only an advantage for the customer, because more possibilities and potentials lead to more complexity. After all, the major cloud providers invest billions in the further development of their platforms every year.
We have the impression that many companies are increasingly unsettled because they lack an overview.
Uncertainty is okay, but should not be an argument against the cloud. There are numerous examples of companies that are already working successfully in the cloud, from start-ups to large corporations. So why not your own company?
That's right. What's your advice?
Asking the big question of how. Companies are becoming more open-minded, but there is often a lack of imagination as to how to get started. Therefore, I can only advise you to choose a trustworthy partner to accompany you on your way. As the complexity is high, the partner should have a healthy network in order to find a specialized contact for niche topics.
The hybrid cloud has developed from a niche topic to a trend topic. Why is that?
In the case of hybrid cloud architectures, costs can be saved and the portfolio expanded. A good example of this is setting up an Azure cloud backup. There are many possible applications here: Microsoft Azure Recovery Service Agent, Azure VMs, SAP HANA databases on Azure VMs and much more.
You mention Azure as an example; Microsoft has already established itself extremely successfully with its cloud services. AWS and Google are also currently playing a major role in the provider market. And what about less well-known service providers?
Of course, I'm not entirely unbiased when it comes to this question. The choice of the right technology should generally match the internal IT strategy. As part of a hybrid cloud structure, a multi-cloud scenario should also be considered. In the case of Microsoft, the integration of cloud services including Microsoft 365 is of course one of many advantages. Companies get the best advice from technical service providers who have already thought outside the box and whom they trust as a customer. Yes, trust and experience are important keywords here.
Who should ideally talk to suppliers and service providers?
Several decision-makers should be involved in the entire cloud issue. From management to technology, human resource management, accounting and sales.
That sounds like a lot of coordination work. But in our experience, it's worth it.
Yes, because there are different challenges and opportunities for each department when dealing with the cloud.
Let's move on to something supposedly very tricky: cloud security.
Oh yes! Recent studies show that cloud hosting is sometimes more secure than on-premise.
Nevertheless, so many companies are still reluctant to move to the cloud due to security concerns.
Just a few facts: Microsoft invests over $1 billion per year in cybersecurity research and development, employs more than 3,500 security experts and has numerous compliance certifications. Who offers this on-premise?
It sits.
We simply have to start opening up more on the subject, there are legitimate questions to be clarified, but these must not be used as an excuse.
What questions are these, for example?
Data protection is still a huge issue for us in-house. We and Microsoft are constantly talking to specialist lawyers and data protection experts in order to guarantee our customers the greatest possible protection. To create trust, I can point to thousands and thousands of projects that are currently running in Germany and the EU on the Microsoft, Google and Amazon platforms. The data is secure, otherwise the organizations would not be able to justify the use of cloud solutions from these providers.
Sounds convincing. And reassuring.
And safe!
