written by Lisa M. Schwartz @leeza2020
As it is with medicine and learning institutions, we often
rely on traditional ways of treating people in large groups so that positive
effects can be achieved quickly for the masses. Yet, today, consumers want more. They are
asking for the next level in personalization: How can medicines and treatments
be tailored so that they work best for “ME”? Or, how does a tailored training course help “ME”
to learn faster?
In medicine, a growing number of researchers, healthcare
clinicians, and an increasing number of patients are calling for a more
personalized approach aimed at preventing disease and tailoring treatment if a
disease becomes a reality - often referred to as personalized medicine, genomic
medicine or precision medicine.
Even educational institutions use the
phrase, “personalized learning”, to refer to tailoring lessons to different
students. They point to the myriad of
digital devices, software, and learning platforms offering educators an array
of options for tailoring lessons to students' preferences.
The Advent
of Personalized Cloud Technology Software
And so it goes, in the cloud computing software world.
How can software be personalized in the cloud to work better
for “ME”, the individual?
As consumers, most of us don’t mind having recommendations
made to us based upon our last purchases, especially if they are relevant and
timely to our interests. And similarly,
as employees using business software, we want to be able to tailor software, even
have insights and recommendations made to us, so we can be more empowered and effective
in in our day to day tasks.
And today this phenomenon is only accelerating. Gen Y or Millennials are the largest
generation now in the workforce since the baby boomers. Millennials, have taken the lead in seizing
all the new platforms of the digital era—the internet, mobile technology,
social media—to construct personalized networks. They are “digital natives”—the only
generation for which these new technologies are not something they’ve had to adopt. Personalization is something they have come
to expect. (1)
Not only Millennials, but most digital users today want to
know more, quickly and easily. There is
an expectation that business software will allow us to personalize, enabling us
get better results for the company and ultimately help us to excel in our
positions.
“Treat Everyone the
Same” 1St Gen Cloud Apps Providers
Yet, not all cloud software gives the user the flexible
personalization they need, due to a “one size fits all software design in the
cloud” built by the majority of SaaS software providers. This “one size fits all” design enables the
software provider to manage and upgrade all their customers at one time,
treating them as a large group. This 1st
generation “treat everyone the same design” decreases the provider’s costs. Not
only is this practice prevalent in the cloud but is a predominant practice in medical
and educational institutions. The result
of this “treat everyone the same” is: limited
personalization, limited options and limited benefits for the consumer.
Distinctions of Modern
2nd Generation Cloud Apps Providers
However not all cloud providers use this approach in cloud application
design. 2nd generation cloud application providers understand that personalization
for each customer and each individual is now a requirement. Modern cloud application providers are taking
a personalized approach to cloud design and understand that each customer is
unique, has unique business processes, has unique data requirements and that
all customers do not fit nicely into one group. 2nd generation cloud application providers
offer customers’ choice and personalization in cloud software for their
business.
Personalizing Beyond
the SaaS Application with PaaS
Not only does personalization include the capabilities to
make choices within the application but also includes a complete breadth of
services available to you if you want to extend beyond your SaaS application
with Platform as a Service (PaaS). Perhaps you want create a new application or mashup information into
your SaaS application from external data sources. When choosing a cloud applications provider,
it is equally important to look very closely at the standards based capabilities
within their cloud PaaS platform.
Things to Look for in
a Modern Cloud Platform Provider
· Provides a well-known standards based cloud
platform to maintain consistent governance and standards across the business
· Allows you to personalize and extend your SaaS
cloud applications quickly
· No lock-in with unknown proprietary languages or
databases
· Maintains a secure cloud platform that connects
easily with SaaS applications and other clouds
· Allows you to move your applications if you
choose to another platform
· Provides pre-built services at every layer that
will help your business innovate and personalize beyond the SaaS application.
As we enter into the next frontier of
personalized cloud technology, be sure to examine closely the nuances of cloud
providers and how they allow you to personalize your cloud. In this 2nd generation of cloud
applications and cloud platforms, it is not an unreasonable for you to expect
more choice and personalization in the cloud.
For find out more about Personalizing SaaS applications and modern standards based cloud platform services, PaaS, watch and share this fun and fact filled video.
1. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-komisarjevsky/millennials-are-defining-_b_5714683.html)
Official Oracle cloud blog.