Cloud Application Development: A Practical Guide for Tech Executives

In the era of business connections and processes going global, work models shifting from office-only to hybrid, and businesses seeking to connect with talents and experts outside their regions, cloud-based applications become integral to growth and digital transformation. 

However, deciding to boost efficiency via cloud application development is just the first step. Understanding the full value of such solutions and the principles behind gathering a team for cloud application development are the factors defining successful adoption. 

To address the most common questions of technology executives, we compiled all necessary insights on outfitting businesses with cloud-powered tools in this comprehensive guide.

Benefits of a cloud app: exploring value in facts and numbers

Currently, cloud development application development service is a well-known and commonly accepted way for businesses to accelerate their growth and gain competitive advantage. 

As a rule, there are several core reasons why executives invest in cloud developing.

However, the best method to see if these cloud app development benefits are still relevant nowadays is to look at the numbers: 

• 88% of enterprise leaders consider cloud foundational to their digital transformation, enabling an agile and scalable system for adopting innovation 
• $270 billion dollars was spent on cloud application development solutions by enterprises in 2023
• 70% of applications are expected to be cloud based in 2024

$3 trillion in EBITDA is the value cloud is expected to deliver by 2030

Following such results, cloud application development is going beyond successfully keeping up with the modern challenges. Given the impact of technology on the emergence of new business models and systems, cloud technology will become the platform enabling next-level flexibility and accessibility these models need to thrive. Therefore, developing cloud services is guaranteed to be a full chapter in every enterprise’s digitization plan.

What is cloud application development: steps for maximizing outcomes

“In general terms, cloud application development is the process of building cloud-based apps and solutions for accelerating business processes and improving accessibility across the enterprise. However, when you invest in a cloud application development service, you find out that it’s a very complicated journey that involves hard choices and hidden pitfalls. It also requires a certain understanding of different cloud app types and a very deep knowledge of your enterprise needs. So, it’s always important to review what you know and do your homework before you get started.”

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

Even though cloud computing has been around for a much longer time than blockchain technology or generative AI, the implementation process and organization still can get tricky. Therefore, decision-makers need to address potential issues before they emerge. 

Doing so doesn't require extensive technological knowledge of cloud technology or a cloud developer background. To start a cloud development process with the right pace, goals, and expectations, technology executives need clear navigation across enterprise needs, the specifics of building a development team, and outline the most essential steps of  developing applications for cloud.

1) Exploring available cloud deployment models

As a rule, upon deciding to start the cloud development process, technology executives already have a presumed solution idea in mind. Yet, sometimes, decision-makers explore the benefits of cloud application development solutions  without diving into their types and variations.

For that reason, there is a point in a brief overview of cloud-based service models and their benefits:

Software as a Service

Software as a Service (SaaS) covers cloud-based web application development, enabling fast and easy access to a shared digital space or database. With Google Apps, AWS, and Zendesk being the most prominent examples of SaaS flexibility, SaaS development often covers building CRMs, client databases, audit tools, document management systems, and HR tools. 

SaaS taps fully into the collaborative potential of application development in cloud, connecting employees and streamlining processes, facilitating management and activities—all while offering superior compatibility and efficient resource distribution. 

Another area where SaaS gets to shine is process automation, allowing users to power their analysis, employee interactions, and scheduling with automated cloud-based tools that cover these tasks and keep users in the loop with comprehensive, personalized reports.

Platform as a Service

Technically, Platform as a Service (PaaS) isn't a solution but rather a digital environment of third-party software and hardware tools enabling enterprises to develop apps for improving or accelerating their specific processes (operation systems, databases, development kits). The value of PaaS lies in its ability to provide developers with a framework for creating and deploying cloud apps without overloading company servers and spending funds on storage space. Unlike on-premise development platforms, a PaaS doesn't need to be set up, letting developers start working immediately. 

Additionally, custom PaaS solutions offer collaborative features and accessibility options, enabling end users to participate in the development process, making valuable contributions to the final features and the product’s utility.

Infrastructure as a Service

Usually hosted on a private cloud, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the company’s business network, complete with servers, storage space, data visualization interfaces, and other IT infrastructure elements.

IaaS became an efficient alternative to cumbersome and costly physical infrastructure for many companies. Instead of investing in buying and maintaining hardware, decision-makers can now focus on scaling their resources and enhancing their IT infrastructure performance, as well as implementing several useful tracking and resiliency features for more secure and transparent process management. The availability of automation options also facilitates the work of IT teams, reducing the system's reliance on manually performed tasks. 

As you can see, every cloud deployment model offers a particular set of benefits to a specific user segment—from end users to developers to IT administrators. Therefore, your investment decision should be based on the desired scale of your cloud transformation and your long-term goals—are you planning to improve the performance of just one department? Or do you want to build a robust infrastructure that will streamline several workflows?

2) Identifying the need for developing cloud applications

One of the most valuable benefits of developing applications for cloud is that any process can be transferred and adopted for the cloud. However, can doesn’t always mean should. No business invests in disruptive technology just to follow the trend or harness a possible opportunity. 

So, while cloud solutions are versatile and agile, they offer unique value when applied for the following goals:

• Expanding to other regions
  Not all companies offering cloud application development solutions would acknowledge this, but most on-premise solutions offer all the benefits of a cloud-based solution. However, when an enterprise enters a new growing phase and considers expanding services beyond its current region, stakeholders face a new challenge—how to ensure the same level of functionality in the new office? Investing in building the same product and purchasing a new data center is not an option due to unjustifiably high costs and long delivery times.
  
  Cloud-based solutions offer a healthy and actionable alternative that relieves enterprises of the necessity to replicate on-premise product development. By utilizing the potential of application development for the cloud, not only can all services be easily transferred to another enterprise, but also they gain new flexibility, letting enterprises adjust their capabilities to the number of users and volume of resources utilized by the office.
  
  Additionally, implementing cloud-based applications prevents chaos by establishing one single flow for every office. Furthermore, advanced cloud application development services facilitate regulatory compliance and region-sensitive data management by enabling data containers specific to every region. As a result, all enterprise processes and routines perform under the same standard while following the guidelines and regulations essential to the area of operations.
  
  
  
• Facilitating maintenance
  On-premise solution maintenance is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. When a company decides to adopt more tools and products, integrating, maintaining, and supporting all these services becomes even more complicated and puts unnecessary pressure on the enterprise's IT department.
  
  Cloud-based applications make maintenance a lot more manageable by transferring a chunk of duties to cloud service providers, letting in-house teams focus on more relevant and less taxing assignments. The improved scalability options also introduce more flexibility into service management, enabling the enterprise to configure its infrastructure. It also allows tailoring business processes to the exact amount of employees involved while disabling the services and features not currently in use.
  
  
  
• Adjusting to the hybrid work model
  According to Forbes Advisor, around 12.7% of employees who used to work in the office now prefer to work from home. This statistic signifies the ongoing normalization of hybrid workplaces and employers adjusting to new employee expectations. As a result, companies must consider updating their digital environment to the change, providing their in-house and remote workers with safe and fast access to all the tools and data they need to complete their everyday tasks. 
  
  Given that change, cloud technology becomes the foundational element of creating digital workplaces and new routines. With cloud application development solutions, enterprises can enrich their employees' experience with an easily scalable and maintainable collaborative space, can be integrated with new services, and provides advanced tracking and data management features.

3) Mapping features every cloud app development should have

In addition to exploring the need for cloud-based application development, technology executives also should know the foundational quality of a well-designed cloud app. Generally, despite its purpose, a properly developed cloud app is characterized by the following features:

Another important feature of a high-quality cloud application development service is reducing manual load for the enterprise’s IT department. With update and integration automation included, cloud-based application development allows executives to liberate operational time and increase workplace efficiency.

4) Staying aware of the most common tech-challenges in cloud-based app development

Like all other technologies, cloud transformation is sometimes considered a silver bullet, the ultimate solution to all problems and issues affecting enterprise productivity. Approaching cloud application development with such a bias can lead to unrealistic expectations, poor communication, and a product that doesn't deliver. 

Due to this, we always suggest doing a reality check and cutting through the bias before making a decision to invest in cloud application development.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

Breaking the monolith to build a structure

On paper, cloud data migration sounds deceptively simple. The goal is to move data from an on-premise storage to a cloud infrastructure. However, in reality, cloud app development teams have to come up with complex strategies, so they can successfully complete this task and deliver the expected results. 

Structure-wise, an on-premise product is a monolith, a consolidation of features and data that needs to be migrated to the cloud. Meanwhile, a cloud structure is a bundle of target systems for storing specific types of data. Therefore, to transfer data from a legacy system, the team must check it for redundancy, cleanse, parse it, and then load it into cloud storage.

For a smooth and successful data migration, experts need to break this monolith into fragments, turning each fragment into a separate service within a cloud infrastructure. It’s a rather time-consuming process that requires thorough planning, distribution of tasks, and expensive resources. 

The larger and the older the in-house product is, the harder and costlier its transformation and the longer it takes to complete. Quite often, the effort is split into two flows: 

1. Building a new cloud-based solution. The cloud development team (team A) works on developing a cloud-native product with the improved features and functionality of the on-premise product. 
   
   
   
2. Maintaining on-premise solutions. The support team (team B) keeps on-premise products operational to make them available to enterprise employees and prepare them for data migration.
   
   
   

We often use this approach when transitioning our clients’ legacy systems within cloud transformation projects. In some cases, we have to split the process into several phases to secure smooth data migration and flawless structure enablement. 

For example, we helped 360 View move from the legacy system to a hosting agnostic cloud solution in four phases: mapping out a migration strategy, breaking the monolith of the on-premise product into modules, building the infrastructure for these modules, and enabling a personalized dashboarding module to accelerate third-party service integration and improve data visualization.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

The potential for dividing the entire transformation into rather complex phases along with the necessity to introduce additional features are the reasons why we strongly recommend against assigning the task of developing cloud services and data migration to in-house teams. 

To handle such a monumental process within optimal estimated delivery times, decision-makers need to consult external cloud experts and collaborate with custom cloud application development partners — otherwise, there is a risk of entering a loop that would slowly drain the company’s budget and deliver more productivity issues instead of results.

The risk of vendor lock-in

Committing to  developing cloud services means committing to a certain vendor providing the servers, maintenance services, security measures, and everything that keeps the cloud service running. The downside of such commitment is that companies become unable to change a vendor for a more competitive one—at least, not without losing access to their cloud services and going back to square one. 

A multi-cloud option allows bypassing vendor lock-in limitations and helps enterprises feel more secure about their choices—but this alternative has its issues to tackle. The more vendors the company works with, the higher the risk of data management and compliance issues. While not completely impossible, a multi-cloud approach requires in-depth expertise and assistance from experienced custom cloud application development partners who can consult and onboard enterprise workers on the nuance of a multi-cloud system. 

Misconceptions about cloud application development service pricing

Sometimes, marketing messages and campaigns make the word "cost-effective" synonymous with "low-price" when describing the benefits of custom cloud solutions. As a result, some stakeholders approach discussing the price of cloud application development services with false assumptions. 

While it's not a major issue, it still distorts expectations and may result in wrong priorities. Therefore, it’s important to remember that developing applications for cloud is a high-cost/high ROI investment, which pays back with reduced maintenance costs, superior scalability, and delivers long-term value by enabling easier application upgrades.

5) Building a team and selecting cloud application development tools

The most vital step to a successful cloud application development project is building a powerful cloud CoE (center of excellence), i.e., identifying and gathering the right experts to turn ideated cloud features into real solutions.

In general, a cloud application development team usually consists of UX designers who visualize flows and roles of users within the future cloud app backend and frontend developers who build the app's features and connect it to data storage.

But in reality, the team setup may change and expand depending on the project's scale and goals, so your task isn't to look for designers and engineers. Instead, you should concentrate on two key roles that will then consult you on the team roster and help you find the right experts for your project.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

Cloud architect

If you want to explore the value cloud transformation can deliver to your enterprise, finding and consulting a cloud architect should be your priority. This expert will be in charge of building the entire cloud strategy for your organization, considering your team size, the range of tasks and services, and the scale of work.

Additionally, a cloud architect performs a number of such vital tasks as:

• Determining the roles necessary for the project and the development team size
• Selecting and assigning developers, establishing the amount of resources required for completing the project
• Cooperating with the company’s IT department to ensure a smooth and secure deployment of cloud services
• Maintaining cloud applications and evaluating the performance of cloud infrastructure
  
  
  

Business analyst

Business analysts are crucial for developing a cloud application that is the perfect fit for your enterprise workflow and goals. They tune to the enterprise’s business vision, expectations, and long-term adjectives, communicating all important information to experts developing cloud applications. 

The responsibilities of business analysts also include the following:

• Communicating expectations to stakeholders, explaining each milestone of the development journey and its importance
• Ensuring the end product embodies the features the enterprise needs to achieve growth and streamline its processes
• Estimating the cost of cloud application development depending on the volume of work and time limit
• Meeting stakeholders’ expectations and helping integrate the product into the company’s workflow
  

6) Mapping out the milestones of cloud development process

Speaking from professional experience, the trickiest part of application development for cloud is that every project is unique and dependent on the client’s specifics. As a result, there is no one-for-all template to follow, no formula to comply with. That’s why we suggest finding and consulting an experienced cloud technology partner before you proceed.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

Partnering with external cloud application developers allows technology executives to outline and de-risk their cloud development process, pinpointing key phases and potential dependencies. 

• Discovery
  During this step, the team and executives ideate the cloud-based product for the enterprise: what needs it’s supposed to cover, and what departments will interact with it. Within a discovery session, the executives also determine a cloud deployment model that fits their organization, establish budget and deadlines. By aligning their suggestions and vision with the business analyst’s perspective, the executives and stakeholders be outlined the most realistic and achievable goals as well as calculate the optimal volume of resources and investments necessary for each stage.
  
  
  
• Design and prototyping
  The goal of this step is to capture user flows and interactions within the upcoming cloud application, ensuring a smooth and intuitive experience for the end users. The approved version will then become a foundation for the future product’s UX layout.
  

At this stage, the UX/UI designers of your assigned cloud application development team visualize your idea and provide versions of the future app’s interface by creating several prototypes to test out various iterations of your vision.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

• DevelopmentThe approved prototype is sent over to the development team for implementation based on the predefined tech stack for developing cloud-based applications. They then connect the app to the database and ensure its functionality. Depending on the app’s purpose and scale, this stage can involve a wide range of cloud application development tools as well as diverse developers and experts, from big data engineers to data scientists.
  
  
  
  
  
• QA and testing
  After the development stage is complete, QA engineers and testers check the app for performance issues and try it out from the end user’s perspective, taking note of any errors and bugs they come across. After the product is polished and approved for deployment, the cloud development team proceeds with the launch.
  
  
  
  
• Maintenance and support
  The custom cloud application development team continues supervising the product after its deployment to ensure that data migration and product integration was a success. At this stage, the team is responsible for troubleshooting, addressing user complaints, app monitoring, and patching. 
  
  Additionally, cloud application developers work closely with the enterprise departments, assisting with onboarding and advocating innovation across the company. Doing so allows business leaders to address the issue of organizational resistance and help employees interact with the new app and use its advantages to maximize their productivity.

This baseline of cloud application development may change or expand depending on the scale and specifics of your project. However, knowing these supporting pillars would allow you to navigate across your potential journey and the nuances of each stage.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

How to develop a cloud-based application that accelerates business growth?

Cloud app development can be an investment that turns the tables on the competition and empowers companies with new capabilities and advantages. However, to make such a positive impact, decision-makers must remain realistic about what they expect to achieve with cloud computing and whether they’re ready for a transformation. 

As a vetted technological partner with many successful cloud development projects under our belt, we can conclude this guide with final insightful takeaways for stakeholders:

• Staying true to company vision
  Every custom product an enterprise adopts or implements is the extension of its unique business culture. Due to this, executives should always make sure that the solution’s features and specifics align with the long-term goals and overall pace of their company.

As an executive, you know your company, industry, and employees’ needs—and the end product must be the culmination of your knowledge. Therefore, don’t settle for a cookie-cutter approach or a bleak compromise. Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions during discovery sessions, ask questions, and explore the boundaries of possible.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

Consulting with a custom cloud application development partner can assist executives  with putting their vision into a functional technological framework or offer a viable alternative to compensate for the parts that can’t be implemented.

• Focusing on the long-term value
  Maintaining the balance between long-lasting impact and benefits that can be achieved soon after innovation adoption are among the key priorities of tech executives.Therefore, they need to always identify KPIs for both instances.

Thinking about what your future tool should be able to do for you in the long run is important. However, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to calculate the value you can receive right after deploying the application. You want your app to become an easily manageable constant in your workflow, not another system that can become too cumbersome to handle and update.

For that reason, stay attentive to the trends and patterns that will define the future of usability and cloud solution efficiency. Communicating with a trusted cloud application development company experienced in adopting cloud on the Fortune 500 enterprise level can also yield useful insights and suggestions.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

• Inviting external experts
  Some companies are reluctant to consult technology partners, believing that expanding their in-house development teams with new roles should be enough for cloud developing. However, finding experienced cloud application developers  who would synergize with the company culture and offer in-depth domain expertise takes time and resources that could have been used more productively. 
  
  Additionally, putting too much pressure on in-house teams can lead to a drop in productivity due to the increased amount of tasks and organizational changes.
  

 A technology partner with an expertise in developing cloud services offers more than skills and minds for the job—they handle the entire development journey, letting your teams focus on other vital enterprise processes and providing a valuable fresh perspective on the enterprise’s workflow.

Sergii Brul, Solution Architect at Trinetix

If you’re looking forward to an insightful consultation from Trinetix cloud architects and business analysts, let’s chat. Having successfully designed and deployed multiple unique cloud solutions for various business niches, our experts will help you ideate and create a cloud product that will break limits and deliver results.

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