The world of cloud computing is constantly evolving, driving digital transformation for businesses around the globe. In this context, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has positioned itself as a global leader, offering a platform with over 200 services that span from computing and storage to artificial intelligence and machine learning. This infrastructure not only provides businesses with the agility and scalability needed to innovate but also prioritizes sustainability and security, backed by 143 global standards and certifications.
In this interview, Carlos Milán, Principal Solutions Architect at AWS Spain, discusses the most relevant trends in cloud adoption in our country and the growing role of the multi-cloud environment. With more than 75% of IBEX35 companies as clients, AWS has witnessed a significant shift in how organizations approach their technology strategies.
Milán also analyzes the challenges companies face when migrating to the cloud, how AWS helps them overcome these barriers, and the role that partners play in this process. He highlights the importance of sustainability as a key factor in choosing cloud solutions and how AWS is assisting its clients in reducing their carbon footprint while optimizing operational performance.
Join us in discovering the insights of one of the most influential tech leaders regarding the future of cloud and its impact on Spanish businesses.
Cloud Computing Adoption
What percentage of your clients have migrated to the cloud, and how has this percentage evolved in recent years?
At AWS, we have tens of thousands of clients in the Iberian Peninsula, including more than 75% of IBEX35 companies. We have observed a steady and significant growth in the adoption of our cloud services over the years. More and more businesses across various sectors are recognizing the benefits of the cloud, such as scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency, which has driven a continuing trend towards migrating workloads to AWS. Additionally, we have developed tools and programs, as well as dedicated teams to facilitate this transition, helping our clients make the most of the cloud’s capabilities.
What are the main benefits your clients have observed by adopting cloud solutions?
Among the numerous benefits, I could highlight several: firstly, agility, where AWS cloud allows companies to acquire all the computing, storage, and networking resources they may need for any initiative in minutes, significantly reducing the time organizations spend turning their decisions into business value. This agility also enables innovation, as it allows for rapid testing of new ideas by provisioning new environments to incubate them and dismantling them once the testing concludes, incurring costs only while they are active. Other significant benefits include scalability, which allows adjusting workloads in real time for any type of projects. On the other hand, cost reduction is also key, allowing organizations to save on operational and infrastructure maintenance expenses since everything operates in our facilities. A fundamental benefit is enhanced security, as AWS infrastructures are completely secure and comply with more than 143 global security standards and certifications, including the National Security Scheme at High Level. Last, but by no means least, is the democratization of innovative technologies, as we offer a wide range of cutting-edge services for data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Do you think that cloud adoption in Spain is on par with other European countries? Why?
Cloud adoption in Spain has grown significantly in recent years, but there is still room to reach the level of some European countries that have adopted the cloud more quickly.
With the opening of our first infrastructure region in Spain, our aim has been to support economic growth throughout the country. In this vein, our choice of the community of Aragón has always been linked to the enormous local talent, the robustness of its business fabric, the wide availability of land, the great welcome from the regional government and its people, and the potential for resources and sustainable sources that we can contribute to the sustainability of our operations. Last May, this commitment was further reinforced with the announcement of a new capital investment of 15.7 billion euros, positioning Aragón as a reference technology hub both nationally and internationally.
Multi-Cloud Environment
In your opinion, why are more companies opting for a multi-cloud environment instead of relying on a single provider?
We understand that companies explore multi-cloud strategies for various reasons, such as the perception of greater resilience or the desire to avoid dependency on a single provider. However, based on our experience, we believe that many of the advantages that companies seek in a multi-cloud environment can be achieved more efficiently and cost-effectively through a multi-region approach within a single robust cloud platform. At AWS, we work to help our clients achieve their goals of resilience, availability, and geographical flexibility using our multi-region solutions.
What are the main benefits of a multi-cloud strategy? And the main challenges?
While there are perceived benefits in a multi-cloud strategy, such as risk diversification or vendor flexibility, at AWS we believe that these benefits are often outweighed by the challenges and associated costs. The main challenges of a multi-cloud strategy include increased operational complexity, the need for teams to master multiple platforms (which can be costly and inefficient), and the potential loss of volume pricing advantages.
How do you help companies manage the complexity that arises when implementing a multi-cloud environment?
At AWS, we have many tools that make it easier for our clients to work if they choose a multi-cloud environment, starting with management tools, including AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) and AWS Systems Manager to automate and simplify resource management across multiple clouds.
We also facilitate integration with other platforms through open APIs and support for common standards, provide security solutions that enable centralized policy and control management across different clouds, offer training and certifications to develop skills in multi-cloud environments, as well as specialized technical support. Additionally, our experts work with companies to design efficient architectures and resolve specific interoperability and compliance challenges.
Barriers to Cloud Adoption in SMEs
What main barriers are preventing SMEs from mass-adopting cloud solutions? And their most frequent concerns?
The main barriers to the mass adoption of cloud services by SMEs include uncertainty about how to successfully migrate and risk aversion. This includes the perceived cost, as many companies fear the initial expenses and long-term cost management. Additionally, the lack of technical knowledge and trained personnel can hinder the transition to the cloud. Concerns about data security and regulatory compliance are also common, as SMEs want to ensure their data is protected. Resistance to change is another significant barrier, as some companies prefer to keep their legacy systems for fear of disruptions during migration. Finally, limitations in network infrastructure can affect performance and access to cloud services.
For this reason, AWS offers advisory and support services to SMEs and startups, aiming to inform them about the benefits of cloud technology, and we conduct pilot tests with them that help them make data-driven decisions, adopting and implementing services based on their specific needs.
What solutions does your company offer to help SMEs overcome these obstacles?
AWS offers a variety of resources and services specifically designed to meet all types of needs in this area. Firstly, we provide training and certification programs that help companies develop the skills necessary to effectively manage cloud environments. This includes access to online courses, workshops, and events that facilitate continuous learning.
Additionally, we offer specialized technical support through our team of experts, who are available to advise SMEs at every stage of their journey to the cloud. This support includes assistance in planning, migrating, and optimizing their cloud infrastructures.
Regarding cost management, AWS provides tools such as AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Budgets, which enable SMEs to monitor and control their cloud spending more efficiently. These tools help identify savings opportunities and optimize resource use.
To address concerns about security and compliance, AWS offers a robust set of security services, including data encryption, identity and access management, and compliance audits. These services are designed to protect SMEs’ data and ensure they comply with relevant regulations.
Lastly, AWS has a wide network of partners and collaboration programs that allow SMEs to access customized solutions and additional support. These collaborative efforts ensure that SMEs can overcome the challenges associated with cloud adoption and fully leverage its benefits.
Migration and Complexity
What aspects of cloud migration are usually the most complex for companies? How do you help reduce this complexity?
At AWS, we have observed that the most complex aspects of migrating to the cloud are often related to people and organizational culture rather than the technology itself. The main challenges include leadership alignment, establishing ambitious goals, training personnel, and strategic migration planning. To help reduce this complexity, we work closely with companies on various fronts: we ensure leadership commitment, help set realistic yet ambitious goals, offer extensive training programs, and conduct portfolio analysis to develop phased migration plans. This comprehensive approach enables organizations to effectively tackle cultural and organizational challenges, facilitating a smoother and more successful transition to the cloud.
Moreover, AWS offers tools and services designed to facilitate every step of the migration process. Through Migration Evaluator, we provide migration assessments and detailed planning to help businesses create effective strategies. On the other hand, AWS Migration Hub is a unique place to manage all services related to the cloud journey, where our dependency identification, automation, and orchestration solutions simplify application integration and deployment. We also offer specialized technical support and training programs to equip company personnel, helping them efficiently manage the cloud environment.
Cloud Security
In terms of security, what challenges do companies face when migrating to the cloud?
Companies migrating to the cloud often face challenges related to adapting to a new security model. This includes understanding the shared responsibility model, where AWS manages cloud security and customers are responsible for security in the cloud. Another challenge is the centralization and analysis of security data from multiple sources, both in the cloud and on-premises.
What are the most effective security measures you recommend implementing when working in the cloud?
At AWS, we recommend a comprehensive security approach that begins with the implementation of the shared responsibility model. This entails using our over 300 security, compliance, and governance tools, including AWS Config to maintain visibility and control over resources in the cloud. It is crucial to implement data encryption both at rest and in transit and to adhere to the relevant security and compliance standards for your industry. We also recommend using Amazon Security Lake to centralize and analyze security data from various sources. These measures, combined with our 24/7 monitoring and secure infrastructure, help create a robust and protected cloud environment, leveraging AWS’s scale and expertise in security.
How do you approach security in multi-cloud environments, especially considering the rise in cyberattacks on cloud platforms?
To address security in multi-cloud environments, we recommend a comprehensive approach that includes consistent security policies and centralized management tools. The practices that are part of the security pillar of our AWS Well-Architected Framework, a set of best practices for designing secure, efficient, resilient, and sustainable infrastructures, are also applicable to multi-cloud environments.
The Role of Partners
What role do partners play in the success of a cloud migration?
Partners play a crucial role in the success of a cloud migration as they bring expertise and specialized knowledge that can complement a company’s internal skills, helping to overcome the technical and operational challenges that may arise during the migration process.
On one hand, they can provide strategic advice to plan and execute the migration. This can include assessing cloud readiness, selecting the right applications to migrate, defining the target architecture, and developing a detailed migration plan. Moreover, they can also offer technical services to carry out the migration, which may involve re-architecting applications for the cloud, configuring infrastructure, migrating data, and integrating with existing systems.
Finally, partners can also provide training and ongoing support after migration to ensure that companies can effectively manage and optimize their cloud environment. This may include training on new tools and processes, troubleshooting support, and assistance in maximizing the cloud’s capabilities.
Sustainability and the Future of Cloud
Do you believe that sustainability is becoming a key factor when choosing cloud solutions?
Yes, at AWS we firmly believe that sustainability is becoming a key factor for companies when selecting cloud solutions. More organizations are recognizing the importance of reducing their environmental impact and seeking ways to operate more sustainably.
In this way, AWS’s tools and solutions help accelerate our clients’ pace of innovation. Our clients use AWS to ingest, analyze, and manage sustainability data, choosing AWS for the broadest and deepest set of capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, and computing to achieve their sustainability goals.
How are you helping companies reduce their carbon footprint and energy consumption through Cloud solutions?
At AWS, we are committed to helping companies reduce their carbon footprint and energy consumption through our cloud solutions. We offer specific tools designed to support our clients in achieving their sustainability goals.
A key tool is the ‘AWS customer carbon footprint tool’, which calculates the carbon emissions generated by using AWS. This allows our clients to easily incorporate their AWS-related carbon footprint into their own sustainability reports, providing a clear and quantifiable view of their environmental impact.
Additionally, we have developed the Sustainability pillar in our AWS Well-Architected Framework. This guide is designed to help organizations develop a better understanding of the impact of their workloads, measure progress towards their IT sustainability goals, and model scenarios where they cannot measure directly.
Moreover, we focus on efficiency in all aspects of our infrastructure, with the primary mission of making the cloud the cleanest and most energy-efficient way to run all computing infrastructure and our clients’ businesses. In fact, a recent study by Accenture shows that AWS infrastructure is up to 4.1 times more efficient than on-premises facilities, and when workloads are optimized on AWS, the associated carbon footprint can be reduced by up to 99%. This level of impact is made possible because AWS optimizes the design of our data centerA data center or data processing center (DPC) …, invests in specifically designed chips, and innovates with new cooling technologies.
These tools, along with the inherent efficiency of our cloud infrastructures, allow companies not only to monitor and reduce their carbon footprint but also to significantly optimize their energy consumption by migrating to the cloud.
How do you see the future of Cloud, and what new trends do you anticipate will shape the evolution of multi-cloud environments in the coming years?
The cloud will play an increasingly important role across all industries. As more companies of all sizes and sectors adopt it as an integral part of their IT strategy, we expect to see an increase in demand for tools and services that simplify management and multi-cloud operations.
This will also bring a rise in demand for advanced security solutions to address the needs of businesses in these environments. Additionally, cloud solutions that can demonstrate high energy efficiency and a commitment to renewable energy will be increasingly valued.