Have you ever wondered how our perception of the word cloud changed from a meteorological phenomenon to a computing one? How old were you when you first heard a cloud reference? And did it strike you as odd? The truth is cloud computing has been around since the 1960s, although it was popularized in the 1990s and early 2000s. Cloud has come a long way from its humble origins of devising a system that enables two or more people to share a computer (and the costs of storage on a hard drive) to the mammoth task of hosting, accessing and monitoring real-time data in critical situations for faster, possibly life-saving responses. Not only is cloud computing breaking barriers to simplify our lives, store invaluable information and sustain our lifestyles, but it is transforming our businesses, governments, and ecosystems too. And how! Evolving and transforming In recent years, cloud has become synonymous with enabling business agility, continuous improvements, innovation, and unprecedented growth. But it is still evolving. So, what’s next? Imagine specific cloud solutions that consider possible challenges faced by your industry but are tailored to fit your organizational needs and business goals. That would be a game-changer, right? Welcome to the world of the industry vertical cloud. As the name suggests, industry vertical cloud platforms and services are unique in that they address the specific needs and complexities of various sectors. But should you move from conventional cloud platforms and services to an industry vertical one? Let’s take a look at how a conventional cloud type differs from an industry vertical cloud computing, and whether you should take a leap. The industry vertical cloud services and platforms have inbuilt features to comply with industry governance requirements and standards. They will also have pre-configured rules and faster, more advanced tools for analytics and deployment. Cloud: Redefining conventions Key differences between the conventional cloud and an industry vertical cloud range from audiences and focus areas to security models and vendors. Here are the top five differences. Market: The largest one is that the conventional cloud caters to common challenges across a variety of industries, while the industry vertical cloud computing is tailored to specific challenges in different industries. The latter is customized to the pressing issues and trends to handle any kind of new IT threat to the cloud ecosystem. Focus areas: While conventional cloud platforms and services are focused on generic services, i.e. compute, store, and network, the industry vertical cloud features industry-specific pre-built features and integrations. Security compliance standards: Now, conventional cloud services tend to be more basic and require more finetuning, alignment and customization. This leads to more time-to-market. However, the industry vertical cloud services and platforms have inbuilt features to comply with industry governance requirements and standards. They will also have pre-configured rules and faster, more advanced tools for analytics and deployment. Vendor lock-in, deployment and maintenance: This may be one of the few places where the conventional cloud has the upper hand. It has a plethora of providers available, thereby leading to lower risk of vendor lock-in compared to the limited vendor options and a higher risk in industry vertical cloud. Costs: Another win for conventional cloud is that the initial cost is lower but increases because of customization and integration. The more customizations, the higher are the costs. However, that is not to say that industry vertical cloud costs are significantly lower. The specialized platform features and services will be higher, but this is in nascent stages and still to mature. In summary, it is easy to see that conventional cloud may be more flexible and customizable but will require industrial expertise and a specific skillset to deliver as opposed to industry vertical cloud which is already focused on specific industry expectations. It is also key to note that to match pace with the dynamic industry growth and changes, conventional cloud has a higher time-to-market compared to industry vertical cloud. Moreover, industry vertical cloud provides the opportunity to adopt best practices specific to your market. Simplify. Strategize. Sustain. Eventually, the cloud decision should align with your business’ specific needs, the kind of industry you serve, individual budgets, and technical expertise and maturity. Collaborating with a cloud expert and global system integrator (GSI) can help you decide the best course of action along your cloud journey. All you have to do is simplify your business needs and goals, collaborate to strategize for the way ahead and create a sustainable map for your cloud journey. Connect with me to discuss if industry vertical cloud is better suited to your business and how you can adapt this to your organizational goals. Learn more about Eviden’s role as a GSI and how we have accelerated others’ cloud journeys with our cloud solutions and services. Read more about industry vertical cloud in the Elevating Industries through Tailored Cloud Mastery and Vertical Solutions whitepaper — an Eviden publication.