Why SMEs Need to Invest in Cloud Technology

By Prince Osuagwu, high-tech publisher

Nigeria’s 41 million small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs may have to further increase investment in cloud technology to grow rapidly and attract strong support from big players in the global market.

This sums up the resolution of a wide range of technology business experts who met at a webinar hosted by an indigenous service provider, CyberCloud, recently. Participants believed that with the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, the cloud appears to be the most effective technology for small and medium-sized businesses to continue to serve their customers appropriately.

Cloud computing is the use of various services, such as software development platforms, servers, storage and software, over the Internet.

The theme of the virtual meeting was “The New Normal: The Future of Cloud Computing in Nigeria after COVID19”

The webinar, which attracted over 700 attendees from all over, was organized by Laurel Onumonu, Head CyberCloud Business, along with MD; Cyberspace Limited, Joe Onwubuya and VMware Senior Manager Cloud Business, Dave Funnell.

Technology sector professionals who attended the webinar, including CEO, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, MD; RackCentre, Ayotunde Coker, Partner Technology Advisory, KPMG, John Anyanwu, CIO First City Monument Bank, Collins Osugo and National Coordinator; NITDA, Kasim Sodangi agreed that cloud technology is the new normal and called for new investments to drive the adoption of cloud computing in Nigeria.

Attendees representing different subsectors of the Nigerian economy supported his call for cloud technology by highlighting how the services have helped his business and operations.

Giving an example of how cloud services are used by the government, Sodangi said as early as 2013, NITDA issued a guideline for the Development of National IT Content, with one of the guidelines specifically speaking of retention and domestication of Services. of data.

The objective of that guideline is for data on government operations to be hosted locally not only for security reasons but also for economic purposes.

In addition, he said that cloud services “will sufficiently improve the way services are delivered in Nigeria and change the face of the public sector if it is understood and implemented as it should be.

Anyanwu also said that cloud services have always been part of the life of SME operators without them knowing it. He argued that the problem was how they could professionalize, monetize, and use it to structure and grow their businesses.

According to him, “several people have been using Google Mail, Yahoo and so many services that are in the cloud without even knowing it. What we are saying is that they should apply the same thing to their businesses, apparently in a more professional way. Cloud offers a great opportunity for small and medium-sized companies to facilitate innovation with low capital investment, “he added.

To corroborate it, MD Rack Center, Ayotunde Coker said that cloud services are those that are consumed on the Internet, regardless of location. He added: “It is a service that you can subscribe to and consume as you need, scale as you grow, and pay as you go. For example, CyberCloud and Rack Center have the ability to provide all the cloud services that the government needs , corporate bodies and people.

For Osugo, banks can help facilitate the use of cloud computing, but everyone else needs to be vigilant about their responsibilities. He said: “Without a doubt, banks have always been at the forefront of Cloud Computing and still have the confidence to host and work with local providers. However, in the nature of banking operations, certain criteria must be met.

Once the government plays an important role in making sure there is an adequate infrastructure in place and entrepreneurs like KPMG, VMware takes the risk and ensures that the skills necessary to manage these services are in place as well, then the sky is the limit. ” .

In advising end users on how to maximize the benefits of cloud services, Funnell said: “Cloud Computing is the way to accelerate a business, but trust is key. So question your cloud provider because not all cloud providers are the same and can provide you with the services you need. “However, the certification that Vmware provides Cybercloud should help build the element of trust for your business.”

From his perspective, MD, Cyberspace Limited, Onwubuya said: “Cybercloud can accommodate both small and large companies and can ensure that, based on NITDA policies, we continue to run a very secure system.”