Introduction to Enterprise Community Cloud
Enterprise Community Cloud Solutions introduces a new revolution in the face of
cloud computing. Not the public or private clouds that are to be used;
community clouds are specifically for organizations with shared goals,
regulations, or security concerns and bring them together in one seamless
environment. The ideal fusion of two worlds: the scalability of public clouds
with the bespoke security of private clouds, all into one.
With digital transformation speeding up in all industries, cloud solutions for enterprises have emerged as an essential backbone of modern IT infrastructure. Community cloud has opened vast avenues for enterprises as it will immediately enable them to leverage the benefits of cloud computing, maintain focus on collaborative endeavours, and stay compliant. According to a Gartner report, the enterprise cloud market is likely to reach $409 billion in 2023 and reach up to $1.3 trillion by 2027, with the increasing trend of adoption for cloud solutions tailored to the needs of specific industries.
What is an
Enterprise Community Cloud?
An enterprise cloud community is essentially a deployment model of cloud where
several enterprises within the same domain would like to share the same
dedicated cloud infrastructure. The major advantage of sharing such a platform is that it is primarily beneficial to organizations that require regulatory compliance
within an industry or customized security solutions.
Key characteristics of enterprise community cloud
solutions include:
- Collaborative Environment: The
supporting common infrastructure makes it possible for multiple
organizations to collaborate securely together. According to a study from IDC,
74% of organizations report improvements in collaboration after
transitioning to a community cloud model.
- Cost Efficiency: With shared resources, it is less expensive
than would be individually incurred in an isolated private cloud. Forrester
Research states that companies can save 30% to 40% infrastructural
costs through a community cloud.
- Tailored Security: The best
security practices are followed, and there is adherence to collective
compliance. It follows the best security protocols, and according to a McKinsey
report, 89% of organizations find community cloud as the most valuable
solution in terms of security.
Benefits of Enterprise Community Cloud Solutions
- Improved Cost Management: Cost
management is one of the prime advantages that community clouds offer. The
shared infrastructure costs are divided among various organizations,
thereby decreasing the costs for each organization as compared to the
traditional setup of a private cloud. As per Markets and Markets,
one such research study indicates that when using shared infrastructure,
the potential for savings in the cost of cloud goes up to 45%.
Thus, the financial flexibility offers an opportunity for organizations to
spend more on strategic initiatives.
- Regulatory Compliance:
Organizations in finance, healthcare, and government operate and need
strict regulatory compliance. Cloud solutions within the community
category serve the purpose of providing industry-specific compliance
within their security frameworks. For example, Healthcare IT News
reported that 70 percent of the healthcare providers use cloud
services for regulatory compliance with standards like HIPAA.
- Enhanced Collaboration: The shared
infrastructure of a community cloud raises the level of interoperability
between various organizations. This is foremost in the industry sectors,
particularly in collaborative research, education, and joint ventures with
clients. Enterprise cloud computing in a community-oriented view promotes
coordination for shared data sets, collaborative applications, and
workflows. Indeed, as EDUCAUSE discovered, 82% of higher
education institutions currently employ cloud solutions to facilitate
more effective collaboration research.
Key Differences Between Community Cloud and Other
Cloud Models
While community clouds share similarities with both public and private clouds,
key distinctions set them apart:
- Public Cloud vs. Community Cloud: the
former is scalable but does not implement specific industry security
protocols. The latter, though, is developed with tailor-fit security
addresses to a grouping of like-minded organizations. According to Flexera,
61% of enterprises now prefer hybrid or community cloud environments
because of their compliance and security features.
- Private Cloud vs. Community Cloud:
Community clouds, unlike private ones, provide exclusivity at
cost-effective prices to a group of related organizations.
Use Cases for
Enterprise Community Cloud Solutions
Community clouds are extremely flexible and may be applied in almost any
sector. Below are some notable use cases:
- Healthcare: Hospitals, clinics, and medical research
institutions often need to share data while ensuring patient privacy. A
community cloud can offer HIPAA-compliant infrastructure that
facilitates data sharing without compromising security. In the U.S., 60%
of hospitals have adopted cloud services, with a growing trend in
community-based models, according to HIMSS Analytics.
- Financial Services: Here, banks
and other financial organizations may take up community clouds for
collaborative ventures, shared analytics, and security protocols that are on par with industry requirements and compliance standards like PCI-DSS.
In the words of PwC, 50% of financial institutions have migrated to
cloud-based services, while community cloud adoption has gone up for shared
compliance.
- Education and Research: Universities
and research centers will benefit from a community cloud to share all
research data, resources, and collaborative tools in an appropriate and
secure way. Almost 75 percent of UK universities are working on the
same cloud infrastructures for their collaborative projects, according to
Jisc.
- Government: Different governmental agencies with
overlapping mandates can collaborate more efficiently while maintaining
stringent security measures. 47% of government agencies worldwide
are expected to adopt cloud infrastructure by 2025, with community cloud
solutions a key part of this transition, according to Gartner.
The Technological Foundation of Enterprise Cloud
Computing
Enterprise cloud computing, based on a community framework, relies on various
advanced technologies to maintain its strength and versatility.
- Virtualization: This enhances the utilization of real
machines through multiple virtual machines running on shared hardware.
- Containerization: The
applications are allowed to run in isolated environments, ensuring
security and compatibility across different organizations.
- Automated Management Tools: enables
automation of managing resources, as much IT supervision is eradicated.
- Advanced Security Protocols:
Multi-layered authentication, data encryption, and regular audits ensure
the shared resource is not compromised.
Challenges and Considerations
While enterprise community cloud solutions offer myriad benefits, there are
some challenges that organizations should be mindful of:
- Data sovereignty: compliance
with regional laws for data storage and processing continues to be
challenging in the community cloud environment.
- Shared Responsibility Model: Enterprises
must define clear-cut roles and responsibilities to avoid confusion when
dealing with shared infrastructure.
- Customization Limits: Although
more customizable compared to public clouds, community clouds are still
less customizable than a private cloud.
Choosing the Right Enterprise Cloud Solution
When selecting an enterprise cloud solution, organizations should consider:
- Regulatory Needs: A
cloud solution Satisfy Industry-Specific Compliance Requirements.
- Scalability Requirements: Support and
scale resources in proportion to the growth.
- Security Features: Check
whether the Company provides solid security solutions suitable to the
industry
- Collaboration Tools: Determine if
the cloud infrastructure supports collaboration by providing shared
applications and data management.
Conclusion
Enterprise community cloud solutions bridge the gap between public and private
cloud models, providing accountable, secure, and cost-effective platforms for
organizations that share mutual interests and regulatory needs. Enterprises can
then fully harness the power of cloud computing by leveraging community cloud
results that spearhead innovative dimensions in advancing competitive
advantages in the fast-evolving world of the digital landscape.
ESDS Enterprise Community Cloud has been one of the leaders in the
space, as solutions are customized to satisfy the specific compliance and
security needs of industries. Built for straightforward collaboration, ESDS
instills confidence in cloud computing for enterprises. Sustainability,
security, and scalability form the core of our offerings in ESDS to be a
trusted partner to organizations who need to commit a community-centric
approach for their adoption of cloud computing.
For the organizations looking to shift their approach toward IT
infrastructure toward collaboration, ESDS Enterprise Community Cloud is almost
more like the future than just an option.
Visit us: https://www.esds.co.in/enterprise-community-cloud