Cloud computing is no longer just a buzzword – it is a crucial element of modern technology. Over the last few years, cloud services have integrated into our personal lives with an infinite array of applications and products available.
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) may dominate the current tech narrative, the hybrid cloud continues to gain momentum. Global adoption is projected to surge from $132B in 2025 to over $580B in 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 17.63%.
Growing cloud complexity
As cloud usage expands, so does its complexity. Today's cloud environments resemble an intricate spider's web of interlinked, multifaceted, and interdependent services that are difficult to maintain or manage.
Symptoms of a challenging cloud ecosystem can manifest in several ways. Businesses frequently face configuration challenges, struggling to manage diverse platforms that each come with their own tools, interfaces, and settings. This places considerable strain on IT teams and increases the risk of misconfigurations. Recent reports also show that 32% of cloud spend is wasted, due to overprovisioning and lack of visibility. Without clear oversight, organisations can face unexpected expenses due to underutilised or untracked resources.
Security and compliance concerns also escalate as data and workloads span across multiple jurisdictions. Navigating regulatory requirements becomes increasingly complicated, and the rapid pace of cloud technologies demands specialist expertise. Many organisations lack internal resources to keep up, contributing to a widening skills gap.
Managed cloud services and FinOps
For channel partners, the challenge lies in helping customers regain control, reduce waste, and simplify operations. This is where FinOps comes in. As a strategic framework, it brings together finance, IT, and business teams to align cloud investments with business value.
When combined with managed cloud services, FinOps fosters a culture of accountability, transparency, and informed decision-making – all essential when navigating today’s cloud landscape. This combination enables channel partners to deliver measurable impact by eliminating unused resources, optimising workloads, automating cost controls, and ensuring proactive monitoring, security reviews, and compliance checks.
Managed cloud services also relieve businesses of the burden of day-to-day cloud management. FinOps enhances this by enabling proactive resource tagging, which improves visibility and accountability, allowing issues to be resolved quickly so businesses can focus on what truly matters.
These services encompass infrastructure management, including provisioning, patching, and scaling to maintain optimal performance. They also provide real-time cost monitoring to help avoid budget overruns, and continuous performance optimisation through tagging to balance cost and efficiency. In addition, AI-driven insights from vendors can be tailored to work with a company’s own data to unlock strategic growth opportunities, accompanied by expert support that provides reliable cloud operations and peace of mind.
The importance of proactive monitoring
As cloud environments continue to grow in scale and complexity, the risks of security breaches, performance issues, and regulatory non-compliance also become more crucial. To maintain a secure and efficient cloud ecosystem, businesses need to deploy a proactive approach that includes monitoring, regular security reviews, and robust compliance checks.
Proactive monitoring uses real-time tools to track performance metrics, detect anomalies, and predict potential issues before they escalate. For example, a sudden spike in compute usage could indicate a misconfiguration or a security threat. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and frequent, the stakes are even higher, with Sophos reporting that the average ransomware payment now exceeds $1M.
Security reviews are equally critical. By routinely auditing cloud configurations, access controls, patching processes, and encryption protocols, businesses can stay ahead of threats by identifying vulnerabilities early and ensuring their environments remain resilient.
Finally, compliance checks like GDPR, FCA, and ISO 27001 impose strict requirements on data handling and security. Automated compliance tools help ensure that cloud environments adhere to legal and industry standards. Non-compliance can result in substantial fines or reputational damage, making regular checks non-negotiable.
Unlocking the full value of the cloud
The cloud offers immense opportunities for organisations, but its growing complexity demands strategic management. Whether an organisation is at the start of its cloud journey, or it needs to gain technical and financial control of its cloud estate, there is a solution available to secure their environment and optimise costs.
Channel solutions like FinOps drive cost efficiencies and foster accountability across teams, while proactive monitoring, regular security reviews, and compliance checks ensure a robust, secure cloud infrastructure. By partnering with the right providers and adopting disciplined practices, companies can fully harness the full potential of the cloud while remaining agile, secure, and cost-effective in a rapidly evolving landscape.
