Cloud computing in business: that was then<\/h3>\n
As early as five years ago we found that the vast majority of manufacturers were open to cloud solutions. In fact, top performing product innovators were twice as likely to be using the cloud, although not necessarily for engineering solutions.<\/p>\n
Since that time, we\u2019ve seen some companies transition to a \u201ccloud first\u201d mentality. These companies have made a decision to select, or at least favor, cloud solutions whenever they are available. In fact, we speak with many startups that take a \u201ccloud only\u201d approach. For them, cloud computing in their business isn\u2019t just an option, it\u2019s the only option.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s important to recognize that cloud and traditionally deployed solutions aren\u2019t necessarily equal. We find that deployment options are typically a lower priority than ensuring that an engineering software has the right functionality. After all, the solution is enabling company innovators, a mission critical need!<\/p>\n
Industry research showed a slower adoption curve for engineering solutions than for other applications. Some believe that the lower speed of cloud adoption of in engineering was because of security concerns, that companies were simply uncomfortable putting their intellectual property on the web.<\/p>\n Security is certainly important, and should be addressed by selecting a trusted partner and ensuring performance with standards and audits. But most companies we spoke with admitted that cloud providers were probably better at managing security than they were, anyway.<\/p>\n We see it differently. We believe that the lack of adoption was, at least partially, because equivalent solutions simply didn\u2019t exist. The solutions on the market were valuable, but covered a different scope. They didn\u2019t provide the rich array of design capabilities<\/a> designed to support unique needs of product innovation and engineering. There were no apples to apples choices for design, simulation, data management or managing the product lifecycle on the cloud versus on-premises.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to recognize that once engineering solutions are in place, it\u2019s typically a major investment to change them. Companies often have to invest significantly in process development, training and integration when they change solutions. That also serves as an opportunity to improve for the better, but it has a cost. Because of this, companies are typically hesitant to make significant changes to their chosen solutions.<\/p>\n We offered advice to companies considering new product innovation and engineering solutions, including cloud (see the flowchart below). The bottom line is that it made sense for many companies to stay with what they have and wait for the eventual evolution to the cloud.<\/p>\n![\"Cloud](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2019\/09\/Cloud-computing-in-business-2.png\" "\\"Cloud")
<\/span><\/p>\nUnderstanding slower adoption in engineering<\/h3>\n
![\"Cloud](\"http:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2019\/09\/Cloud-computing-in-business_flow-chart-1.png\" "\\"Cloud")
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