The cloud is extremely important for businesses. Today, it's difficult to find an organization that doesn't believe the cloud can help it improve its business, become more competitive, and adapt quickly to the market.

This has ceased to be a technological differentiator and has become a fundamental and necessary tool for organizations. It's similar to when computers began to replace typewriters: initially, having a computer set you apart from those still using typewriters, but later it became essential for competing and surviving.

Public figures on cloud adoption and current trends support this claim. It is interesting to analyze the data in different geographic regions:

Global Cloud Figures

• The global cloud market was valued at $371.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17.5% from 2021 to 2028.

• In 2020, 35% of companies worldwide used the public cloud, and this figure is expected to increase to 46% in 2023.

• The sectors that use the cloud the most are retail, healthcare, and banking.

Latin America

• The cloud market in Latin America was valued at $10.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.4% from 2021 to 2028.

• In 2020, 25% of companies in Latin America used the public cloud, and this figure is expected to increase to 40% in 2023.

• The sectors that use the cloud the most in Latin America are retail, banking, and healthcare.

Chili

• The cloud market in Chile was valued at $2.2 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6% from 2021 to 2028.

• In 2020, 18% of companies in Latin America used the public cloud, and this figure is expected to increase to 35% in 2023.

• The sectors that use the cloud the most in Chile are retail, banking, and healthcare.

These figures show that many organizations are already adopting the cloud or considering doing so. However, at Zenta we've observed that a large number of them still don't know how they can leverage the cloud for their business, although they do recognize the need to find a way to do so.

Many of them make big mistakes by rushing their journey to the cloud, which leads to frustration and disillusionment with technology.

What are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them?

• Lack of a clear strategy: Not defining a clear strategy and purpose for adopting the cloud can lead to disorganized implementation, unnecessary technical efforts and hours invested in the project, as well as underutilization of cloud services.

Recommendation: Before beginning cloud adoption, it is essential to develop a clear strategy that aligns business objectives with the appropriate cloud services. This involves assessing the company's needs, defining a coherent architecture, and establishing robust governance policies.

• Lack of planning and cost assessment: Not having a clear direction in the cloud journey prevents adequate planning of the costs associated with technology adoption, which can result in unpleasant surprises and a significant increase in expenses. For example, a company may underestimate data storage costs and end up paying excessive fees for unused capacity.

Recommendation: When defining business objectives, it is highly recommended to conduct a thorough assessment of the costs associated with cloud adoption, including infrastructure, storage, data transfer, and additional service costs. Use cost monitoring and management tools to optimize cloud resource utilization and adjust capacity as needed.

• Lack of training and cultural adoption: Cloud adoption involves a significant technological and cultural shift. If the team doesn't understand how the cloud works and its benefits, this will become an obstacle for the company. Therefore, failing to provide adequate training and foster a cloud adoption culture can hinder the transition and the effective use of cloud services. For example, if employees don't understand the benefits of cloud computing and aren't trained to use cloud tools and services, they may resist change and continue using less efficient, traditional methods.

Recommendation: Conduct an awareness and training campaign to guide your team on the benefits of cloud computing and how to effectively use cloud services. Foster a culture of continuous learning and the adoption of new technologies.

At Zenta, our main recommendation is to establish a specific case for migration, rather than trying to cover all aspects of the business at once. It's advisable to start with short-term plans, limited to a few months, with clear and achievable business objectives requiring minimal effort.

Even if it's not initially the perfect solution for your business, the ideal is that it's efficient and allows you to gain experience and confidence in implementing cloud processes. This way, you'll avoid frustrations and unnecessary expenses, while also gaining the support of sponsors or stakeholders within the company.