When it comes to digital transformation, everyone is talking about how vital cloud adoption is to future-proof your transformation. (And it’s true!) However, in the rush to keep up, when moving systems and business applications to the cloud, some organizations are missing out. They may think about APIs but forget to check that their MFT and B2B/EDI operations won’t break in the process.
While addressing why cloud adoption is essential to digital transformation, we’ll examine how cloud managed services enable a smoother cloud transition. With a partner to support your cloud journey, you can preserve MFT and B2B connections as you make the move, while managing mission-critical flows on a modern integration platform.
You can’t have digital transformation without cloud adoption
Digital disruption is everywhere, and that transformation has accelerated in our post-pandemic world. Organizations need to develop new business services quickly and be innovative. They often turn to web services to accomplish this, which is a new way of building applications.
To manage your digital transformation quickly, you must build on what already exists instead of creating code from scratch.
It’s possible to create cloud-native applications faster because smaller teams benefit from preconfigured services. Almost all start-ups nowadays employ new development and operating methods with a catalog of off-the-shelf services to build applications quickly.
Digital transformation and cloud adoption go hand in hand.
If you need proof, look at the 30% growth of the IaaS public cloud services market in 2022. It’s the first time market revenue exceeded $100 billion, and this is clearly where companies are going at a rapid pace.
Cloud adoption is becoming an organizational imperative
Beyond wanting to keep up and capitalize on this new and exciting growth, you may have little choice on cloud adoption.
When you have an existing MFT or B2B/EDI integration process that is working smoothly, it’s not as if you can simply lift all of that to the cloud, and some are understandably dragging their feet.
But you need to anticipate and plan for it at an enterprise level because if you’re not already moving to the cloud, you may soon have to.
The entire IT world is moving towards massive cloud adoption, and other software providers and business applications you rely on may force the shift sooner than you’re ready. When they move to the cloud, will you be left behind?
Will all the interconnections that allow for file exchange and data flows today be impacted by the use of new applications in the cloud tomorrow?
Cloud managed services help you get more out of your cloud investment
Transforming the entire IT backbone, the mainframe, all the existing systems, and all the existing data exchanges to make them more cloud-friendly is no simple feat. Taking stock of existing integrations is essential to ensure this global infrastructure change won’t break something else in the process.
Maintaining current processes is not enough. The modern B2B ecosystem requires a new approach to business operations, architecture, and processes. What’s more, adopting a simple “lift & shift” approach means organizations miss out on most of the benefits of cloud adoption.
What’s more, while data integration only becomes more complex, finding skilled professionals to support this cloud journey has become a challenge. Limited access to resources with knowledge of cloud best practices and architectures can cause costs to rise even more for already complex projects.
This helps explain why, when factoring in talent, risk, and other factors, 74% of cloud-powered companies are more likely to use managed services.
Consider, for example, why aerospace and defense giant Textron decided to move to Axway Managed Cloud Services for MFT: a fully managed service backed by the technical expertise of a world-class support team.
You don’t have to rebuild all over again
The reality is companies don’t start from scratch. They have assets, applications, and systems that are running already. And they have spent a lot of time building and developing it all.
So, how will you make these old systems cohabit and interconnect tomorrow?
MFT and B2B/EDI can sometimes fall by the wayside. As organizations become focused on digital transformation and new cloud-native applications, they can forget about these legacy systems and interconnections that are still driving their business right now.
But your business can’t afford to lose critical MFT and B2B solutions. It’s essential to find a way to continue to make all of these integrations work in the new world.
Optimized MFT solutions in the cloud allow you to adapt to your current cloud adoption strategy and be ready for future cloud-native applications. Cloud strategy and implementation services can help accelerate your B2B/EDI move to the cloud.
As a trusted player with in-house expertise, Axway can provide the solutions, skills, and expertise to manage the transition — without starting from scratch — for greater peace of mind.
We’ll work with you to reinforce traditional EDI and MFT business while using new API-driven processes to enable scalability.
Cloud managed services are not an all-or-nothing proposition
At Axway, we’ve been doing this for more than two decades. We have already developed cloud solutions that are being used by organizations around the world.
The move to the cloud is typically a gradual one. The lived experience is not one single type of cloud. Instead, it’s different permutations that will mix and shift as organizations use a combination of different cloud services.
Hybrid cloud (or multi-cloud) is a combination of legacy systems that continue to run on-premises but can interconnect seamlessly with any type of cloud.
Organizations often use a combination of different cloud services, and a hybrid cloud combines and unifies to create a single, flexible, cost-optimal IT infrastructure. The solutions you use for file transfer and B2B connections must be compatible with this model.
One of the benefits of working with Axway is you can move on your own terms. This includes hybrid deployment models where everything is interconnected — with the option for fully managed cloud services.
Let’s say a company uses legacy EDI systems and is in the process of digital transformation that will impact B2B integration as well. To move to a hybrid cloud, the company needs experts who understand traditional EDI processes and are comfortable with APIs, the cloud, and other modern IT techniques.
Axway’s managed cloud service guarantees complete control over sensitive and business-critical flows so you can move to the cloud on your own terms. We have you covered throughout the full journey, providing flexibility in deployment and management and even reversibility when needed.
Move to the cloud, scale when you’re ready
Many companies rely on SAP’s Enterprise Resource Planning platform, which has become a core part of organizations’ business processes. When the company gave customers a 2027 deadline to move to its next-generation cloud ERP platform, S/4HANA, many had to speed up cloud adoption.
When one of our customers faced this situation, they knew their use of SAP was mission-critical. It was time to accelerate their move to the cloud. However, they still had applications running with integrations between the old SAP and other systems or even with external partners.
They didn’t miss the opportunity to anticipate potential pitfalls and reviewed their file exchange and B2B integrations. Those were critical break points, but preparing for the change and working with Axway to make the transition made for a seamless process.
This process can happen step by step.
Because we offer the flexibility of a truly hybrid cloud, it’s possible to start in one permutation and shift to another tomorrow. What’s more, with a strong team of cloud managed services experts to oversee integration processes, organizations can ensure the stability of cloud operations with the highest level of security delivered. That’s less downtime and fewer uncontrolled costs.
Think of Axway as a friend who can support you on your cloud journey. We’ll make sure your MFT and B2B solutions are ready to come along on your move to the cloud. After all, your business depends on it more than you may realize.
Learn how Axway Managed Cloud Services gives you the power of a cloud platform with the business and technical expertise of a world-class team.
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