Liz Brown, Director, Enterprise Cloud Solutions, Colt
Gartner recently outlined six major trends shaping the future of cloud and there’s a common thread running through most of them: missed opportunities.
It’s something we see regularly. Businesses that moved to the cloud with high hopes are grappling with complexity, cost and underwhelming results. But here’s the thing: there’s never a bad time to reassess your cloud estate, in fact, right now might be the best time yet.
Step back to get ahead
Before you can optimise, you need to reflect. Ask yourself:
- Why did we move to the cloud in the first place?
- What were we hoping to achieve?
- Are we getting the value we expected?
Then take a clear-eyed look at your current setup. What’s working? What’s not? Are your applications in the right environment, public or private? Are you optimising for performance and cost? What skills do you have already in house and where can you benefit from extra support?
This kind of evaluation is hard to do from the inside. That’s why an external perspective can be invaluable. Look for someone who can challenge assumptions and help you see the bigger picture.
AI ready – whatever that looks like
AI is transforming how businesses operate, but it only works if the foundations are in place. That means ensuring your infrastructure is scalable, your data is accessible and clean and you’ve got the cloud fundamentals in place.
When done right, AI adds flexibility to your operations and helps you adapt quickly to changing market demands. But it’s not a shortcut, it’s a multiplier for what’s already working. That’s why now is such a great time to step back and reassess what’s working, so that you’re ready for whatever the AI future brings.
Governance: meeting compliance and staying secure
As cloud adoption matures, so does the regulatory landscape. New frameworks like NIS2 and DORA are raising the bar for digital resilience and operational transparency.
Governance isn’t just about internal control, it’s about external accountability. To stay compliant and competitive, businesses need to:
- Establish clear policies and controls for the cloud
- Ensure visibility across multi-cloud environments
- Prepare for audits and reporting requirements
Strong governance builds trust with regulators, customers and partners. And it’s the foundation for scaling securely and sustainably. This is another area where that outside perspective, especially for those operating internationally, really comes into its own.
Sustainability can’t be an afterthought
Sustainability is no longer optional. Your cloud strategy must align with your Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.
Too often, cloud is assumed to be the greener option compared to hosting on premises, but the reality is more complex. You need to:
- Build your strategy with sustainability in mind from the outset
- Evaluate cloud partners against ESG criteria
- Prepare for increased regulation and reporting requirements
It’s time to ask tough questions about your cloud providers’ sustainability credentials and make sure they align with your values.
All roads lead to assessment
Whether it’s preparing for AI, meeting increased governance, hitting ESG goals, or simply getting more value from your cloud investment, it all starts with a comprehensive assessment. There’s never a bad time to take that step back, but with AI adoption increasing and new compliance and regulatory considerations, now is the ideal time to do it.
At Colt, we’re helping customers wherever they are on their cloud journey. With our open, honest and cloud platform agnostic approach, we’re able to help cloud deliver on whatever you need it to do. Get in touch today.