![[Column] Garry Ackerman: Embracing the cloud - Mitigating load shedding impacts on business operations](Images/Key Persons/Garry_Ackerman_Argantic.png)
[Column] Garry Ackerman: Embracing the cloud - Mitigating load shedding impacts on business operations
Load shedding poses significant challenges for businesses, disrupting operations, and hindering productivity. However, the cloud offers a viable solution to mitigate the impacts of power outages.
By embracing cloud-based solutions for email and file sharing, productivity platforms, and data centres, companies can ensure uninterrupted access to essential services, enhance collaboration, and safeguard critical data.
As load shedding continues to affect the economy, embracing the cloud becomes an imperative for businesses seeking resilience and continuity in the face of power disruptions.
This article explores how businesses are leveraging cloud-based solutions, specifically in email and file sharing, productivity platforms, and data centres, to mitigate the impacts of load shedding.
Email and file sharing in the cloud
One of the primary concerns during load shedding is communication and collaboration. Traditional on-premises email servers and file-sharing systems are heavily reliant on a consistent power supply. When power outages occur, businesses lose access to critical communication channels, hindering employee productivity and impeding collaboration among teams.
To address this challenge, companies are migrating their email and file-sharing systems to the cloud. Cloud-based email solutions, such as Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) and Google Workspace, offer several advantages over their on-premises counterparts.
These platforms are hosted in data centres with robust power backup systems, ensuring uninterrupted access to email services even during load shedding events. Employees can continue to send and receive emails, access shared files, and collaborate seamlessly, regardless of power disruptions at their physical locations.
Moreover, cloud-based file-sharing platforms like Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive provide secure and scalable storage solutions. Data is replicated across multiple servers in different data centres, reducing the risk of data loss due to power outages or hardware failures. Employees can access files from any device with an internet connection, eliminating dependency on local infrastructure during load shedding.
Productivity platforms in the cloud
Load shedding not only impacts email and file sharing but also affects the overall productivity of employees. Traditional office software suites, like Microsoft Office, often require local installations and local power supply to function effectively. When power cuts occur, employees face limitations in accessing critical productivity tools, impeding their ability to work efficiently.
Cloud-based productivity platforms, such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, enable businesses to overcome these limitations. These platforms provide web-based applications like word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation tools, eliminating the need for local software installations.
As a result, employees can continue working seamlessly through a web browser, irrespective of the power situation at their physical location.
Cloud productivity platforms also offer real-time collaboration features, enabling multiple users to work on documents simultaneously. This fosters teamwork and allows employees to contribute to projects regardless of power disruptions.
Additionally, cloud-based platforms provide automatic data synchronisation, ensuring that work is saved and accessible even in the event of power failures.
Data centres in the cloud
For businesses that rely heavily on servers and other stand-alone systems, power outages can have severe consequences. Locally hosted servers require consistent power supply, cooling, and physical security measures. During load shedding, these critical components are compromised, risking data integrity and overall system stability.
To address this challenge, companies are increasingly leveraging cloud-based data centres offered by providers such as Azure and AWS. These data centres boast robust infrastructure, redundant power supplies, and backup generators to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. By migrating their servers and stand-alone systems to the cloud, businesses can reduce their reliance on local power infrastructure and mitigate the impact of load shedding.
Cloud-based data centres provide scalability, enabling businesses to easily upscale or downscale their server infrastructure based on demand. This flexibility allows companies to adapt to power constraints without compromising the availability of their systems or services.
Additionally, cloud providers often offer comprehensive security measures, including data encryption, access controls, and disaster recovery plans, ensuring that critical data remains safe even during load shedding events.
Conclusion
Embracing cloud-based solutions is paramount for businesses seeking to mitigate the impacts of load shedding on their operations. By migrating email and file sharing systems to the cloud, companies can ensure uninterrupted access to essential communication channels and collaborative tools, regardless of power disruptions.
Cloud-based productivity platforms enable employees to work seamlessly through web-based applications, promoting productivity even during power outages. Moreover, leveraging cloud-based data centres ensures the stability and security of critical systems and data, reducing reliance on local power infrastructure.
Embracing the cloud not only enhances resilience and continuity but also enables businesses to thrive in the face of load shedding challenges, safeguarding their operations and driving long-term success.
Garry Ackerman is the CEO of South Africa's software and infrastructure service provider Argantic.
