With so much talk of cloud and everything-as-a-service these days it’s not surprising that many IT/IS managers are throwing their hands up in despair. Should I or shouldn’t I? How do I go about it? What are the risks? Who should I partner with? Is my job on the line?The cloud conundrum extends upwards and downwards in most organizations and the decision makers are finding it hard to get the right information on which direction to take and just how far to go without taking too big a risk. I’m not just speaking the Telecoms community here, although procrastination has cost some communications service providers (CSPs) dearly.
Not being willing or prepared to offer more than communications-as-a-service they now fear being left behind. Specialist cloud providers and even bit players are offering their corporate Customers cloud services they themselves are nervous to adopt.It is a fact of life that most enterprises will have to take up cloud services of some type in the near future, simply because business models, the digital world, customer mobility and changes in the way software is being written and used will force them to. But there is no reason the same Business Assurance and Risk Management processes that apply inside the enterprise cannot extend outside and into the cloud to help mitigate any perceived or actual risks.Disruption of service in any business sector does not simply result in revenue loss or customer dissatisfaction, these days it loses customers and they can be so easily enticed away by lurking competitors that are quick to pounce. Retailers seem to be more acutely aware of these risks and have already adopted Telco Business Assurance practices to monitor their IT processes in real-time. Energy suppliers in deregulated markets are doing the same and their networks now extend to smart meters and home management systems that people rely in for continuous supply and optimum power management. They, like Telco Customers, expect their service provider to do the best for them and advise them for the best deals, off-peak rates; warn them of abnormal usage patterns and any potential interference to supply. Banks are now offering so many of their services via the internet and apps they not only fear the potential security risks they are also working on real-time analysis of each transaction looking for any anomalies that might indicate high-risk or fraudulent behaviour.Again, so much can be gleaned from the Telecoms experience in real-time monitoring of processes, systems, Customers and Partners down to the smallest transaction level. Who better, apart from the leading vendors of course, to offer Business Assurance services or Risk Management advice? Better still, by offering cloud services that are supported by systems and processes they already have in place, CSPs could differentiate those normal cloud services offered by so many. Not only could they offer them with great communications service, their strength, they could also offer them as secure and assured services, reducing the risk and security concerns enterprises are bogged down in.If you are a CSP, what are you waiting for?This article was first published in TelcoProfessionals.com. You can find the original version here.