In the business world, “cloud native” has become a term much like “GDPR”. Everyone thinks they understand it, but when asked for specific details, most people just shrug. Yet, it involves far more than simply moving servers somewhere “in the cloud”. Cloud native architecture is not another trendy buzzword. It is a pragmatic answer to how to operate IT in a way that truly serves the business – quickly, efficiently, and flexibly.
Cloud native represents an overall shift in the principles of how a company develops, deploys, and operates applications. The transition moves from monoliths to microservices, from manual interventions to automation, and from clicking through web interfaces to the concept of “infrastructure as code”. However, this change is often not initiated by the company itself; the impulse usually comes from a software supplier who announces: “The next version of the system will no longer be monolithic. It will be containerised. Get ready.”
Companies are then faced with a decision: either they adapt, or they remain dependent on a legacy version that will eventually cease to be supported. When that happens, modernisation becomes an urgent task. It is precisely in these situations that it becomes most apparent how few companies have a well-thought-out architecture, prepared infrastructure, or skilled personnel.
Under such pressure, a company typically launches some form of container orchestration, typically Kubernetes, but this solves only a fraction of the problem. Without thorough preparation, security layers are missing, and the storage of images, monitoring, a DevOps pipeline, and governance remain unaddressed. Orchestration is in itself only a small part of the whole – the rest must be built or is only addressed later when applications are running and problems emerge. In fact, this is often when the entire environment must be rebuilt. Costs and pressure rise, and customer trust erodes.
By contrast, companies that prepare for the cloud native world in advance have an advantage. They do not need all components and architectures from the start, but having a high-level architecture and a well-thought-out plan is crucial. Things to be deployed tomorrow need to be designed today. And even if it goes into production in a year’s time, it is possible to prepare the necessary infrastructure and build team competencies now.
Experience shows that the preparatory phase makes a fundamental difference between success and failure. Companies that regard cloud native as a purely technical change often get stuck. Those that approach it as an organisational and strategic change usually succeed. The reason is simple. The cloud native approach blurs traditional role divisions in IT. A developer no longer needs to wait for a networking specialist, an administrator, or a storage specialist. If the environment is properly prepared, they can create everything they need themselves, via a script, automatically, within minutes. This is the biggest shift – a technology that transforms the traditional IT department organisation.
The moment a company masters the cloud native transformation, the benefits come quickly. Development agility increases significantly. New versions formerly released once a month can now be deployed several times a day. Systems are more resilient, more scalable, and prepared for operation in various environments. An important bonus is system independence – if the architecture is built correctly, it can be moved from one cloud to another, or from the cloud to an on-premises environment, without ever touching the applications. At a time when the risk of vendor lock-in is growing, this is a valuable advantage.
The cloud native approach also has a direct impact on operational costs – even though not always immediately. The question, “How long until it pays back?”, cannot be answered without proper analysis. Every company has a different starting position, a different operating model, and different needs. This is why serious suppliers refuse to promise savings without initial analysis. However, the return on investment certainly comes not only in lower future costs but especially in the form of development efficiency, higher security, and reduced operational dependence on specific people or vendors.
At the same time, it is not true that only large companies benefit from cloud native. It also makes sense for small businesses with several dozen employees. For example, if an organisation operates a modern e-commerce solution, internal tools, or is preparing for a major digital expansion. The greatest benefits can then be seen where development cycles are very rapid, creating a need for frequent changes. Typically, this is in financial services, retail, or public administration.
So, what should every company do before embarking on the cloud-native journey? The answer is crystal clear: do not underestimate preparation. It pays to invest in an initial study, design, and architecture. And one more piece of advice: do not blindly copy what worked in the public cloud into your on-premises environment. The hybrid world has its own rules and needs its own strategy.
Cloud native is not a trend that a company jumps on out of obligation. It is an effective way how to approach development, operation, and the organisation itself. And even if the path to it is not simple, those who master it enjoy a true competitive advantage. Technological, yes – but above all commercial.
We are in the process of finalizing. If you want to be redirected to our old version of web site, please click here.
