Are we heading to glocal cloud?

“What a small world!” – How many times did you hear or said this phrase? Well, I for sure say it often. The truth is the world isn’t small, but the way we communicate and do business at a global scale sure makes it look that way.

In IT, the development goes fast and the last couple of years the technology of virtualization has been transforming the way we build the IT infrastructure. We now have the possibility to launch new services fast, without exhausting implementation projects, huge investments and the overwhelming risks. The cloud offered us the potential to make our companies more cost efficient and the ability to quickly adapt to market changes.

However, with the world becoming “smaller” than ever, the right strategy and planning becomes even more important when brands go global. Reaching new markets and adapting to cultural implications and audience mindsets can be challenging, but it is achievable.

The need for glocal cloud

In the near future, companies will increasingly need to think and act globally while servicing partners, customers and employees locally. This combination of global and local created the “Glocal” cloud. Glocalization is the concept that in a global market, a product or service is more likely to succeed when it is configured for the locality or culture in which it is sold. It is similar to internationalization.

Basically, glocalization refers to the necessity of balancing local with global systems and processes. So, as global companies adopt to the cloud with greater frequency, the demand for localized treatment increases, and a more diverse and extensive workforce requires the cloud to service all parts of the whole equally well.

Why is it so important to have a glocal cloud network? Here are 3 of the most important reasons:

• Speed – Businesses want to deliver information, interactions and insights to their employees and customers without delay. Even a fraction of a second can interrupt the flow of business or spoil the fun of watching a video online. To avoid inactivity, it’s vital to move data and processing closer to the user. Thus, by positioning cloud data centers in countries around the world, you will be able to assure the speediest performance for all involved.
• Security – Many countries have created regulations calling for special security measures to be applied to digital medical records and other sensitive personal information. In some cases, that includes storing the information within the borders of the country. So, by locating data centers in a large number of countries you can comply with local laws while providing local clients with all of the benefits of cloud computing.
• Stability – Having data centers distributed around the globe isn’t enough. They also have to be interconnected in ways that make it possible for companies to operate wherever they’re doing business. That means the same applications and information that are available in New York are also available in Sydney. It also means that if computers in one country go off line, mirrored computers in another country can pick up the slack.

When you go cloud, go all the way

Cloud computing means much more than just providing something that works on the internet. It means servicing customers at the local level and that is where most cloud based companies hit a wall. There is a great number of cloud solutions appearing every hour but only a handful make it, mainly because they lack a solid go-to-market strategy outlining how the service will be leveraged internationally or, more precisely, how the company intends to go truly global. This is why cloud developers need to adopt the glocal concept if they want to own their respective niches.

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