What does #CloudFirst mean to you?
Our company, Regroove Solutions Inc., has been a #CloudFirst business for over 3 years (and really, we have been building to it for more than a decade).
For a while there, and let’s be real … until folks were forced to work from home and get agile and creative … it was a real slog — finding businesses open to, or rather … serious, about changing how they work.
Change is hard, we get it but man oh man, could people find all kinds of excuses not to move the needle forward. Fast forward to April 2020 and people get it — big time. Electronic forms, working remotely, modern phone systems and virtual meetings … and apps everywhere. And don’t forget about all the coaching that will come along with it as well.
Change is difficult. Not to change is fatal. ~ William Pollard
I’m not going to talk about all the reasons why businesses are making the shift to the cloud. That story has been told many times — like here, and here, and here and over there.
Instead…
First, I’m going to share a picture
I’ll just share this graphic which frankly and succinctly tells it like it is, quite nicely thank you very much. Get shit done, stop babysitting old technology that doesn’t play well with others … and always be current.
And then … I’m going to share what our team had to say
That’s right. I put a simple question “out loud” to our team the other day (in a Microsoft Teams conversation, naturally 😉, and this is what they had to say.
The Question
I simply asked… “What does #CloudFirst mean to you?”
My Answer
“#CloudFirst means being able to make business decisions (and take action) quickly because our data and systems are connected and online without legacy systems or obstacles in the way.”
Answers from the team
Yep. They nailed it. 😎
Rob
#CloudFirst means being able to work anywhere, anytime with anyone. Anything is possible now.
Kyle
#CloudFirst means despite being the new guy, I feel confident I have all the tools and access I need to succeed at work. #CloudFirst means flexibility to work from home with my kids when they’re out of school.
Kayla
#CloudFirst means being able to collaborate easier and faster so that we can work effectively together from anywhere.
Dmitry
#CloudFirst means you are in the future. while everyone else still in the past. It is not just a game-changer, it is a totally new game.
Darren
#CloudFirst means feeling confident that all of my data is in one safe & secure place. I no longer worry about backups or hardware failure and love that I can access all of my data from anywhere on any device. Amazing!
Zak
#CloudFirst means not worrying about where data is, but knowing I can access whatever I need whenever I need it from wherever I am.
Steph
#CloudFirst means being able to help any business stay in business.
Nicole
#CloudFirst means I’m not tied to my desk, to an office, to one place. It means I can work on the go, wherever I am: a coffee shop, a park, the comfort of my home.
Liam
#CloudFirst means we can focus on doing what needs to be done, instead of worrying what’s possible.
Shelby
#CloudFirst means I don’t have to be constantly emailing and passing back and forth files. I can just point people where to go to find them, and the file management takes care of itself.
Matt
#CloudFirst means it’s never been easier to bring the next great app, product or business idea to the world. Focus on what makes your idea unique and forget the rest.
Karin (show off 😉)
For about a decade, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, and OneDrive have given us the power to take our photos and documents with us wherever we go. Phrases like “I’ll show you those photos later, because they’re on my other computer” or “I forgot to transfer the document to my USB stick” are not heard often anymore.
In the business world, cloud technology is not as widely used, but since we’ve become accustomed to having information at our fingertips, it’s easy to get frustrated when our workplace technology lags behind.
We’re seeing that with companies that resist modern technology, their employees often turn to consumer cloud tools to get around these challenges — for example, by transferring data onto into personal Dropbox folders. It’s a huge security risk.
To me, a #CloudFirst organization is always one step ahead of these “Shadow IT” issues because they provide the tools that their people need to work the way they want to. They educate themselves on how they can enforce governance and compliance in cloud technology instead of dismissing it because of their fears. They are the first to recognize what their workforce needs to be supported, and because of it, they remain in control of their company data. Their people are happier, their teams are more productive, and the success of their company is increased as a result.
Tom
Not being tied to my desktop and having the freedom to be mobile and continue to be connected with customers and peers. It gives us the power of true collaboration and people don’t have to be stuffed into the same room.
Sherman
A #CloudFirst mindset means having the freedom to focus on the optimal tool or service that is available in the market, which allows me to focus on solving my problem without having to worry about the infrastructure required.
Kelly
#CloudFirst means I can access work conversations, communications, and content from my mobile device using apps that connect me to the cloud so I can get things done quickly without having to be connected to a computer.
