By now, regular readers of this column should be very familiar with the concept of cloud services. For new readers, the simplest explanation is that it is internet based computing that provides resources and data to computers and other devices on demand.
These resources include applications, platforms, data storage and backup – in fact almost everything that you currently have installed on your existing computer or devices. But at a fraction of the cost.
Need the latest Microsoft Office or Adobe application? It is available in the cloud for a monthly fee. Need development software so that you can access tools to develop your own mobile application, or design a website?
No longer do you need to buy or pirate the usually very expensive package so you can get this done. Need data backup and security services? It is available online for a fraction of the price of an external drive. Need to set up a computer network for your new company? Easy as pie.
The options are endless and no longer does an innovator or entrepreneur have to invest in high costs to commence doing business. OK, the only perceived problem is that you will need internet access – and this still worries many users.
But guess what – are you currently able to run your business in a modern way and a modern market without the internet anyway? Can you run your business with limited or no access to mails, for example?
This is the cloud and there are a number of new acronyms and terminology entering our dictionaries daily. Now, how does this apply to Africa?
Taken as a whole, the African continent is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Averaging 5 percent growth each year, Africa’s economy has become more market-oriented, with a rapidly growing private sector.
Remember, Africa is also facing mass urbanisation. As urbanisation expands, Africa’s cities will need to become centers of economic, social and technological change to meet the needs ofthe increasing body of city residents.
Currently there are more than 600 million cellphone-using Africans looking for local content, apps and services. There are immense opportunities to explore new business models and create localised feature-rich mobile apps.
Not only is there a huge market to exploit but the cloud is also driving a new wave of job creation opportunities. By harnessing Africa’s natural entrepreneurial spirit – and a look around will convince you that we do have that in excess – the cloud could boost small and medium businesses and stimulate job creation.
And we all know Africa needs modern jobs, to allow us to grow out of the poverty traps many Africans find themselves in.
Why is the cloud so good for small business? Well, it slashes costs out of the process. In the past, if you wanted to start a business, you needed money to hire people, market yourself, and pay for office space.
Thanks to the cloud, almost anyone with an innovative idea, you can now get your business off the ground for literally a few dollars.
Cloud also helps solve the urbanization and growth challenges we face in this continent. IT cost efficiencies within enterprises and parastatals and government enables the organisation to be more agile in responding to market changes and size.
Using the cloud and big data analysis, traffic jams, for example, can be managed, releasing more productive hours into the economy.
A major problem we have locally – and I am sure all of you have some experience of the frustration felt at work and in the home – is the current power crisis all over the country.
Surely our Escom can use analysis of cloud-based data for smart grid management and determine better how to distribute energy resources with on demand pricing based on usage patterns. This data will also enable them to project and plan for future growth based on demand.
After all – the supply of energy is a growth industry. Not considering trends and defining future strategies for such an essential service is pure foolishness. Not using the cloud for this is even dafter.
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