Automation is a crucial component for agility and going faster to market. Therefore, companies are resolving to cloud services to help them with the process.

Due to the need for efficiency and affordability, some companies resolve to community clouds which is an emerging solution that bridges the gap for SMEs facing cost barriers with private cloud infrastructure.

Moutieh Chaglil, CEO of Bespin Global, a cloud management company speaks to The HR Observer about community clouds solution and its ability to strike a balance between making things unique and having control.

Can you elaborate on what is community clouds and how they address the challenges faced by small organisations that find clouds financially out of reach? 

The concept of community clouds presents an emerging solution that bridges the gap for SMEs facing cost barriers with private cloud infrastructure while still requiring specific features not fully covered by public clouds.

This cloud model is still very nascent in the Middle East Region but is indeed cost-effective, enabling smaller organisations to pool resources for infrastructure, maintenance, and management costs with similar entities. Such cost-sharing makes cloud services more financially accessible.

Distinctively, community clouds deliver tailored solutions, addressing unique compliance, security, or customization needs specific to certain industries or organisations, which are typically more developed than in public clouds.

Partaking in a community cloud empowers smaller organisations to leverage collaborative efforts and collective expertise, fostering innovation, sharing best practices, and exchanging knowledge—benefits often unattainable in isolation.

What operational and regulatory requirements drive organisations to opt for community clouds over other cloud systems? Have you observed any growth in demand for shared cloud systems? 

Companies often opt for community clouds due to the strict rules they must follow, especially in fields like healthcare and finance. These clouds offer a shared setup tailored to meet specific industry rules. This ensures data stays safe and private while also cutting down on individual compliance costs.

On top of that, community clouds strike a balance between making things unique and having control. This lets companies in the same field work together easily while keeping a good grip on their cloud stuff. This approach is getting super popular as industries want cloud systems that fit exactly what they need, especially in areas where data safety, following rules, and working together really matter.

As I noted, community cloud adoption in the Middle East remains relatively limited. However, the adoption rate is typically lower than public clouds but higher than private clouds within specific industries or sectors with shared compliance and security needs. They are more niche-oriented, serving a group of organisations with similar requirements.

According to you, what other industry trends have you noticed in the cloud space, and how are these trends influencing the strategies of businesses looking to leverage cloud infrastructure?

The integration of AI within these cloud trends was a compelling development during this year. AI’s infusion into cloud computing is revolutionizing how businesses process and derive insights from data.

With AI capabilities integrated into cloud solutions, organisations can leverage machine learning algorithms, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation to optimize operations, personalize customer experiences, and drive innovation.

Another trend is the surge in IoT devices which has fueled edge computing, allowing data processing closer to its source, minimizing latency, and enhancing efficiency. By this, businesses can benefit from real-time data processing and quicker decision-making.

Technologies like containerization and Kubernetes gained more popularity for streamlining application deployment and management across diverse cloud environments, ensuring consistency and scalability.

These trends have significantly influenced how businesses approach and utilise cloud services, emphasizing flexibility, innovation, security, and sustainability in their cloud strategies.

Could you elaborate on any notable success stories or case studies, especially small ones, in successful cloud solutions?

Certainly. One of the important features of the Cloud is scalability. We at Bespin Global has helped numerous young enterprises succeed in their journey and expand exponentially within a short span. Organisations that are born on the cloud can swiftly scale up or down their resources based on demand and pave the way for rapid growth.

We have one of our valued customers “Maly”, a fintech startup, that was born less than a year ago and has already established itself as a leading financial wellness platform easily expanding its operations across the GCC markets.

With Cloud, Maly was able to effortlessly seize opportunities without being hindered by infrastructure limitations or the need to set up physical offices in multiple locations all while accessing cutting-edge technologies and providing outstanding features without substantial initial investment.

Additionally, the redundancy of cloud services has ensured Maly since its inception high availability and minimised downtime, gaining more reliability and customer trust.

By leveraging the scalability, accessibility, and cost-efficiency, among other capabilities that cloud technology offers, small organisations can turn their aspirations into reality within a matter of days, quickly positioning themselves among industry frontrunners.