And here I am, back to writing and this time it is about Cloud. Today, it is an undisputable fact that whether you are a start-up or a mid-level or a behemoth, Cloud is the way forward. Hence, what better than sponsoring Asia’s largest and best-attended cloud event for business, Cloud Expo Asia (CEA) in Singapore. We along with Docker, were silver sponsors for this mammoth Cloud event that took place in October.
We work with enterprises large and not-so-large across Southeast Asia to help them with their digital transformation journeys using open source technologies. And going by the asks from customers in this region, we have observed that organisations realise that Cloud is the way forward  loud and clear, and wanting to move their applications to Cloud weighs big on their minds. A lot of interesting conversations happened at our booth about how Docker could help them do that and were amazed at the ease which it offered (lift and shift). Interestingly, GovTech making containerization of applications as a guideline in some of their tenders has technology players accelerating their readiness. I found that most of them are wanting to get up to speed on Docker as they observe that it is the need of the hour and are realizing that the revolution is about to unleash.
Lot of enthusiasm was also generated around the fact that Docker can help modernize legacy/traditional applications without much effort around re-designing. While there was another set of enthusiasts who wanted to know how Docker containers can be used to build a micro services architecture. Well, the buzz around Docker did not seem to go down. Everyone I spoke with is either exploring Docker or thinking hard about it. So much so that as an immediate step, they wanted to get their team trained on Docker and get started right away.
All that said, there is always one common denominator during the course of our discussions – which being that people are willing, more than ever, to experiment with new technology possibilities. It is fair to say that every company today is a technology company. Emerging areas such as big data, drones, genomics, smart devices and machinery, virtual and augmented reality, AI and machine learning, satellite and imagery and IoT will see humans, devices and systems all connected. Information is available in real time which will enable constant optimising and fundamentally change the way business is done. This is where new technologies will both assist innovation and create disruption.
And here is where Cloud plays a very important role. According to a recent survey, by 2020, 67 percent of all enterprise IT infrastructure and software spending will be for cloud-based offerings. Once cloud-first strategy is already headed towards cloud-only strategy, enabled by the rapid increase in positive perception towards cloud adoption. This could be indicative of a widespread change in public opinion regarding the safety and reliability of the cloud services market as a whole with the likes of Google and Microsoft throwing their weight behind it.
Cloud will enable quicker adoption of technology, quicker adaptability to external factors, more scalable data storage, flexible applications with swift, automatic updates, thereby minimizing IT spending. Another important aspect of positive change can be seen in the professionals themselves working in the field of Information Technology. Just like what the Industrial Revolution did to man – offload mundane, physically arduous tasks to machine, Cloud is enabling IT professionals to spend less time on mundane tasks and focus more on strategic tasks that add value to their organization. This could include:

• Greater collaboration with the end user for more effective use of the systems.
• Faster application integration and development
• Greater focus on Security Aspects
• Data Analytics and Reporting
• Time and money saved can be utilized for Long-term Projects

To summarize, this will result in greater end user enablement for organizations and will thus serve as a distinct advantage over competitors.
As always, Singapore Government is leading from the front in this aspect by adopting a multi-pronged approach to cloud computing. There are guidelines for adopting commercially-available public cloud offerings where appropriate; and there is a private government cloud called Central G-Cloud for whole-of- government use for security and governance requirements, that cannot be met by public clouds. This is a part of wider effort under Singapore’s e-Government transformation master-plan through the deployment of a next-generation infrastructure for the public sector.
If you are thinking about Cloud adoption and how Docker can help you walk down the path, we would be glad to assist you in your digital transformation journey. Feel free to reach out to us here.