Key Points
- Adaptability is crucial: Organizations face increasing complexity, geopolitical disruptions, and AI advancements, making adaptability a necessity for competitiveness.
- Unified cloud and edge strategies: A recent Forrester study reveals that 65% of organizations plan to merge their cloud and edge environments to improve responsiveness and resilience.
- Microsoft’s Azure solutions: The study highlights the importance of integrated cloud and edge approaches, with Microsoft Azure offering tools like Azure Arc to help organizations break down silos, run AI effectively, and design for security and scalability.
Adaptability by Design: Unifying Cloud and Edge Infrastructure Trends
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, adaptability is no longer a luxury but a fundamental requirement for success. Organizations across industries are grappling with escalating complexity, geopolitical uncertainties, and rapid technological advancements, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI). These challenges demand a strategic approach to infrastructure, one that prioritizes flexibility and integration.
The Need for Unified Infrastructure
A recent Forrester study, commissioned by Microsoft, sheds light on the evolving infrastructure strategies of global IT leaders. The research, involving over 600 cloud and edge decision-makers, found that:
- 65% of organizations plan to merge their cloud and edge environments within the next year, driven by the need for faster innovation and improved resilience.
- Top priorities for these organizations include enhancing customer experience, increasing operational resilience, and strengthening data privacy, all of which are interdependent and require integrated cloud and edge investments.
The Challenges
Despite the clear benefits of integration, organizations face several hurdles, including:
- Siloed IT teams and platforms
- Legacy applications incapable of scaling
- High integration and maintenance costs
- Security complexity and gaps in real-time insights
The Value of Integration
Integrating cloud and edge environments unlocks numerous benefits, such as:
- Reduced latency for improved customer experiences, thanks to Azure’s edge computing capabilities
- Lower costs through localized processing, enabled by Azure’s intelligent edge solutions
- Better insights from diverse data sources, facilitated by Azure’s AI and analytics tools
- Enhanced security and governance, backed by Azure’s robust security framework
Achieving Integration: Four Strategic Moves
The Forrester study outlines four key recommendations for organizations seeking to unify their cloud and edge strategies, all of which are closely aligned with Microsoft’s Azure offerings:
- Break down silos: Align cloud and edge priorities through cultural and technological unity, as seen in Dick’s Sporting Goods’ successful adoption of Azure Arc.
- Run AI where it works best: Leverage both edge and cloud resources for optimal AI performance, as demonstrated by LALIGA’s use of Azure Arc for real-time insights and cloud-based strategic analysis.
- Design for security and scalability: Integrate security across all environments, as achieved by AVEVA using Azure’s adaptive management and policy tools.
- Extend cloud-native to the edge: Apply cloud-native development patterns to edge environments, as Delta Dental did with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), ensuring future flexibility.
The Path Forward with Azure
As organizations navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world, Microsoft Azure is poised to support their adaptability journeys. By providing the tools and strategies needed to unify cloud and edge infrastructure, Azure enables businesses to:
- Thrive in uncertainty
- Drive innovation
- Deliver exceptional customer experiences
Explore the full Forrester study and watch the accompanying video series to delve deeper into the future of cloud and edge infrastructure, and how Microsoft Azure is leading the way.
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