5 powerful features of cloud-native apps

Cloud-native applications are solutions designed specifically to run in a cloud environment. To truly be cloud native, the solution’s entire lifecycle must exist on a cloud platform – from development, through staging and testing, to deployment, debugging and future updates. Cloud-native applications are not installed on a server in a data center or converted into virtual machine images to make them portable across servers. They are designed in and for the cloud.

Since the earliest computers, software has been developed specifically for the machines designated to run it. Because programs run best if they are developed inside the machines they run on rather than being developed and compiled separately, the need for cloud-native applications has grown as more and more companies turn to cloud hosting.

As ComTech Advisory wrote in a recent white paper, “It has taken some time for the commodity trading and commodity management markets to fully embrace the benefits of cloud delivered solutions and overcome lingering cybersecurity concerns. Though traditional on-premises installations will continue, it’s increasingly clear that cloud delivered CTRM/CM solutions will dominate the market in the coming years as more vendors make the necessary investments to enable their solutions to run effectively in a cloud environment.”

1. Cloud-native applications deliver fine-grained functionality. Because they are developed independently of other applications, cloud-native applications are developed using the language and framework best suited for their specific functionality.

2. Cloud-native apps scale up and down on demand – without disrupting your business. Because the applications are separate from the infrastructure, scaling is easy, quick, and inexpensive. As your business grows, it is easy to add more users and increase functionality without impacting current services at all.

3. They can dynamically adjust themselves to varying loads as demand for the applications grow and wane throughout the day. They are not tied to the infrastructure, so can flex easily.

4. Cloud-native applications can be implemented faster. Traditional CTRM software implementations typically take months to over a year to implement. A cloud-native solution can be implemented in days, providing almost immediate results.

5. They can be significantly less expensive. Companies using cloud-native applications pay for additional resources only as they are needed. There is no up-front CAPEX spend on new hardware. You only pay for additional cloud space when you actually need it, not months in advance to ensure it’s ready for when you finally do need it.

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The cloud-native approach is about moving fast – and moving smart. Because the applications can be implemented quickly, you can add functionality fast – and that means the software pays off faster. Because they are sold in small components, they are less expensive and therefore less risky to try. You can add functionality, test it, and if you realize it isn’t exactly what you need you can quickly and easily replace it, augment it, and move on. If it works better than expected, you can add more users quickly, too.

Cloud-native applications are your best choice if you are moving to cloud. Anything else just won’t work as well.