Advanced Computing in the Age of AI | Friday, March 29, 2024

Is Cloud Computing an Economic Equalizer? 

Cloud computing is putting immense pressure on IT, says Aman Neil Dokania, a VP and GM of HP’s cloud division. In the wake of the advent of cloud, Dokania says that new macroeconomic trends are happening around the world that are changing the face of business, and helping those in underdeveloped economies catch up in the process.

“The concept of ‘as a Service’ is changing how we do business,” says the cloud chief noting that one of the key trends taking place around the world involves foundational business model shifts that are creating new opportunities. Dokania points to trends such as telcos transforming to become cloud service providers as an example of how cloud technology is proliferating, thus providing new technology services and creating opportunities that weren’t previously available.

With the technology opening up, entirely new and novel business models are emerging that weren’t previously open. Dokania points to the phenomenon of microfinancing, where cloud computing is enabling group-based financing models that are sprouting in troubled regions, providing access to investment capital in developing economies where it wasn’t previously available.

While cloud technologies are making their presence felt around the world, Dokania says that they’re making a profound impact in troubled areas in the Asia Pacific, providing a boost to the developing economies of the region. In many cases, the businesses in these developing countries may be at an advantage over Western competitors because they don’t have legacy servers and costs to have to manage as they grow their businesses, and thus can be more flexible in responding to a market.

Cloud services may ultimately prove to be a key economic equalizer in the future as the businesses in these emerging markets start to expand further into the global economy. When a start-up can bring to bear the same technology as the incumbents, it levels the playing field and provides more opportunities for start-ups to fill in the gaps.

May the best ideas win.

EnterpriseAI