Introduction
Speed is a major driver of business in this era of customers seeking instant gratification. If the fact doesn’t convince you, the statistics just might. An element as simple as website load time holds weightage. Statistics mention the first five seconds of a page load time have the highest impact on conversion rates. So, when consumer behavior has the most impact, modernizing a business model to suit the same is profitable in the long run.
The faster an organization can build and distribute a product to its customer, the more likely it is to avoid hassles in a fast paced environment. This is what cloud native, as a form of technology, is built to handle. It is a behavior driven development model that is designed, built and optimised to run on the cloud.
Say, your business is pondering over a shift to the cloud or weighing the pros and cons of different models. This guide can help you and your business, as we list out the key benefits you should be expecting, in your cloud journey.
What are cloud native applications?
These are a set of tools or applications that are highly scalable, fast and function on the cloud. Cloud Native applications use Platform as a service tools, agile methodology that transforms the entire software development process and microservices, which function as building blocks of the cloud native architecture.
Cloud native applications can easily be mistaken as another tool for the digital first era or another platform. However, it is a complete shift to a set of different practices, automated testing, design, customer centric model and an accelerated production environment. With shorter delivery cycles and higher quality, working in the cloud native database requires a transformation within the entire development team of an organization.
An overview of the elements of cloud native architecture
Compared to the monolithic structure of traditional applications, cloud native applications are built on the principle of decentralisation. Cloud native services are built as loosely linked microservices that operate in containers that are managed by tools such as Kubernetes.
Confused with the structure of a cloud native application?
Here’s a simple breakdown.
Microservices, which is an arrangement of parts of the application or independently deployable services. These form the building blocks of the cloud native app.
Containers form the standard way for microservices to move from one environment to another and run independently on the cloud native infrastructure.
Continuous delivery and continuous integration help with automated testing and delivery of the products
Kubernetes function as container orchestrators that allow developers to manage the function of different containers, including scaling and deployment
DevOps is a form of agile methodology used in cloud native architecture and a set of practices that is applied across the software development cycle to improve product delivery and efficiency using collaborative methods
10 benefits of cloud native architecture for your organization
The benefits of cloud native technology may be leveraged differently based on the organisation, but these features are what sets them apart from other competing organizations. Technological implementation translates to success when these benefits support the goals of the organization. Some benefits made possible by the usage of cloud native applications include,
1. Cost efficient
Monolithic architecture had the issue of confining companies to fixed resources that they had to pay for, regardless of their involvement in the software development process. This led to a lengthier and costlier process as maintenance and backup were additional services.
With cloud native applications, all the solutions are designed to function on the cloud. This compatibility with the cloud native infrastructure reduces costs on backup, maintenance, development and usage of resources. With an open source system and tools such as serverless systems that adopt a pay per use model, costs are driven down considerably.
2. Enhanced customer experiences
The features of traditional applications such as software updates over longer periods of time, having dedicated teams for each task, and so on are no longer the required features for enhanced customer experiences of this generation. So, what does this mean for organisations who previously adopted monolithic architecture?
Moving to the cloud via application migration is an efficient way of not having to abandon decades of work and investment and to allocate resources onto a newer, scalable and flexible platform. Moving to cloud native applications helps take a mobile first approach to application development, where the majority of target audience lay today. With tools that focus on a feedback and deployment cycle, cloud native solutions modify the entire development cycle and place emphasis on customer experience far greater than traditional applications.
3. Adaptability and scalability
Cloud native applications modify and adapt as per the requirements of the business and allow frequent software updates and modification based on customer feedback. From the industry’s end, cloud native apps allow for horizontal scalability as the organisation grows, eliminating the need for hardware solutions and using software dependent infrastructure.
4. Reduced vendor lock in
As cloud native applications involve decentralised services, choosing a cloud vendor who assures performance, security and maintenance is essential. However, there are chances of provision of poor quality services and pricing plans beyond the budget with certain vendors. With a traditional form of application development, one would have to stick to the same cloud native solution vendor due to the time and effort invested.
However, cloud native avoids this vendor lock in by allowing to use services from multiple cloud providers. As they are all designated to work on the cloud native platform, moving to a better cloud pricing and benefits plan is possible with cloud native applications.
5. Automation and flexibility
Adopting agile methodology practices and DevOps leads to automation throughout the software development cycle. With collaboration and CI/CD processes, the deployment, testing and gathering of feedback is a continuous loop of enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction. With flexibility, cloud native application removes the restrictions that traditional architecture introduced, by allowing organisations to work on multiple cloud platforms, be it public, private or hybrid without introducing any changes or additional requirements.
6. Reusability and serverless platforms
Cloud native applications use serverless platforms to upload portions of the code, which do their specific functions when isolated and used. This can help the organization reuse parts of a project’s code, while creating a different or a new project. Each part of cloud native services function containing its own logic rather than being orchestrated by a central application saves the development team on costs and time.
7. Troubleshooting, made easier
Cloud native applications have an inherent fault tolerant mechanism due to the presence of microservices. In the case of any troubleshooting post deployment, tracing the origin of the issue is much easier in cloud native infrastructure due to the entire application being divided into microservices, where each acts as a service function. Once tracking is done, the service is isolated and the problem is fixed at the origin, with no server downtime.
8. Designed for a 5G era
With the advent of 5G and better accessibility across the world, dependency on faster technologies is leveraged by most organizations for this era. Cloud native applications are internet based and rely on faster internet for swift responses. Organizations can hop onboard the decades of development that better technologies are yet to bring, by using cloud native applications.
9. Real time analytics and compliance with guidelines
Dealing with modern data influx is something cloud native applications are capable and designed for. The current generation has an influx of data that is more temporary rather than permanent. In traditional infrastructure, organizations had the option of storing the data, with no access to utilise the data at the given moment.
However, cloud native application development makes it possible to analyse and utilise the data in real time to detect performance issues, troubleshooting, customer behavior and so on. The data can be assigned a particular lifespan and can be discarded or redirected to a storage medium. An advantage of cloud native infrastructure vendors is also that most ensure compliance with HIPAA and GDPR and other country related regulations.
10. Enhanced security
Given the robust infrastructure of cloud native and the communications within the decentralised structure, security is an undoubtedly important issue. Data is constantly shared among different services and between the organisation and the user. This leads to several gateways that could work as potential security breach points in a cloud native infrastructure.
Ensuring that each unit is exposed only to relevant data and fields and auditing data access is necessary. Ensuring multiple layers of security such as multi factor authentication, restricted access and sharing are measures that the organisation can take beyond the security measures provided by the cloud native infrastructure vendor.
Cloud native use cases across industries
Built for change, scale, resilience and for modern data organizations, navigating the complete benefits of cloud native applications can be a long journey. Instead, cloud native applications offer the flexibility to choose and apply the services required for each industry. Industries where custom services of cloud native applications can be used include,
1. Healthcare
With immense storage and processing with each patient visit, healthcare organisations form a huge repository of patient, operational and temporary data. To meet the management demands of such organisations, the features of cloud native applications can deem fit.
- Cloud native solutions can enable virtual healthcare in a post pandemic world
- Cloud native applications can enable proactive customer care and aid data security and storage
- Improving workforce interactions and provide real time patient visit information for a smoother experience
2. Logistics and supply chain management
The complexity of supply chain management lies in the collaboration between different departments, sub vendors, integrated services or customers. A cloud native application encourages collaboration among the team along with customisable modules within a cloud based logistics platform. The benefits of a cloud based supply chain include,
- Cloud native solutions help management of different modes of transportation of the shipments
- Using third party services, proper route mapping, calculations and predictions of delivery can be provided to customers
- Optimising stocks, analysing demands and managing inventory is easier with cloud native infrastructure
- Management of customer deliveries and customer promos to re initiate the cycle of purchase
3. The education industry
The pandemic saw the advent of several colleges and educational institutions towards a digital first approach. Offline classes turned into online lectures and assignments and for organizations that were flexible and adaptive to this strategy, cloud native applications were the backbone. Cloud native infrastructure provides the education industry with tools and technologies that can aid distant and interactive learning such as,
- Sharing curriculum through Artificial Intelligence and other interactive technologies
- Student support and better collaborative tools with teachers
- Reduced chances of server breakdowns and an interruption free learning with cloud native technology
- Making distant learning possible with interactive platforms for examinations and practical learning
Making the best of cloud native for your organization
Collecting, storing and retrieving data in a data and consumer driven era can be quite challenging without the right tools. Having a cloud native approach can give the organization a sense of navigating the competition and to deliver, collaborate and work better. Not all the benefits of a diverse cloud native field can apply for your organization, but a careful assessment of choosing what works, can be profitable in the long run. Based on the benefits that work for your industry and the audience targeted, customising a cloud native application or infrastructure can be the boost your business needs to thrive in a customer centric and data driven era.
