The next two years will be an exciting period of innovation for cloud computing, especially as more and more businesses fully realize the advantages of adopting cloud services. While cloud’s appeal originally stemmed from the potential to reduce IT infrastructure costs, today’s cloud technology is increasingly adding value through its ability to drive business growth. The next wave of cloud is a huge turning point for businesses that now have the opportunity to transform their entire approach to IT.

We live in an era where technology is rapidly advancing and businesses need to evolve their infrastructure in order to remain competitive. Cloud adopters can immediately access the innovations that come with this next wave of cloud, and in turn improve their own operations and services. Instead of viewing each innovation as a new purchase, companies can transition from a CapEx model to an OpEx model by deploying ‘as-a-Service’ solutions. This allows businesses to continuously iterate their products and services.

The next wave of cloud will also allow businesses to redefine the function of their IT teams. IT teams will be able to break free from their traditional siloed roles within their business and expand their skill sets. Rather than focusing their energies on managing a legacy infrastructure, IT teams transitioning to a cloud infrastructure can focus on gaining skills geared toward supporting business strategies and driving revenue and growth.

Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) is a powerful solution that helps IT teams drive business growth. Businesses can leverage DaaS to help address the security challenges of BYOD as employees increasingly move toward using personal devices for work and expect to access company data anywhere, anytime. Implementing a DaaS solution can also reduce desktop costs: when the physical infrastructure powering virtual desktops is migrated onto the cloud, IT organizations can redirect those costs toward driving business growth.

On the whole, cloud adoption is ushering IT into an era where virtual technology complements existing infrastructures and gives businesses a distinct competitive advantage. Businesses that embrace cloud technology open doors to increased scalability, consistent innovation, and an array of customizable services. ‘As-a-Service’ offerings allow adopters to harness cloud technology according to their specific needs, and ubiquitous pain points around disaster recovery and security are often dramatically simplified. The next wave of cloud allows businesses to operate with the high levels of agility and efficiency absolutely required in today’s business world.