Many companies are embarking on large-scale digital transformation journeys to become intelligent enterprises in the cloud. There is plenty to consider when preparing for the transformational change and, more specifically, the cloud component. One key consideration is determining how to leverage the public cloud to drive meaningful business outcomes with minimal risk.

I have more than 20 years of experience strategizing and leading organizations through implementing secure ERP solutions, streamlining business processes, and optimizing IT infrastructure and budgets. And in my opinion, the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is the place to be.

I recently listened in on a conversation during the Cloud OnAir with Anthos webcast where a participant said, “Google Anthos is changing the way enterprises manage applications in today’s hybrid and multicloud world. Anthos is the industry’s first cloud platform to help businesses develop, deliver, and manage cloud applications anywhere—across Google Cloud, on-premise, or on other public or private cloud environments.” This innovative technology is giving companies even more options to accelerate their adoption of the cloud. Here are five reasons why Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is my pick:

  1. Google’s Global Network Optimizes the User Experience

SAP Fiori is a simplified user experience solution from SAP, and it is enhanced when companies run SAP on the GCP, which is fueled by Google’s own global network designed for optimal uptime and performance. End users will experience the same secure, reliable, and low-latency network that is home to Google Chrome, Google Search, Gmail, and other services accessed by more than a billion users daily.

  1. Google Cloud Is Secured by Default

According to GCP, “Google Cloud runs on a technology platform that is conceived, designed, and built to operate securely. Google is an innovator in hardware, software, network, and system-management technologies. We custom-designed our servers, proprietary operating system, and geographically distributed data centers.” The GCP security is the default and it is not an option. All companies need to do is bring their data. Google will encrypt the data while it is at rest and in transit. Combine SAP transactional data with Google BigQuery to perform analysis on petabytes of data. Can you imagine the insights that you can glean from a petabyte of data? It’s a lot. Google has given a brand-new meaning to BYOD (bring your own data).

  1. Google’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Innovations Accelerate the Journey to the Intelligent Enterprise

When companies standardize their business processes, it has the potential to unleash all sorts of operational efficiencies. Then, if they couple that with a digital transformation, it will pave the way for automation through the SAP digital core, which offers the best of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and analytics capabilities on top of the GCP AI/machine learning innovations. Google has a comprehensive offering of prepackaged AI solutions that companies can leverage to accelerate their journey to an intelligent enterprise, while reimagining how their businesses will operate with the added intelligence, embedded analytics, and improved insights. When you can automate and streamline business processes, it has a positive effect that ripples through the entire digital transformation effort and ultimately the organization.

  1. Google Cloud Virtual Infrastructure Is Flexible and Highly Adaptable

SAP has certified Google’s 12TB virtual machine (VM), which adds so much flexibility in terms of the sizing process. Now, companies don’t have to blow their budget or delay their project because of inaccurate sizing estimates. They can simply scale up a 12TB VM in 30 seconds, pay for what they use, and scale back down when they’re done. This capability is relevant in a variety of circumstances, including enterprises scaling up to meet demands of a new product launch or scaling down after completing a proof of concept. In addition to large VMs, GCP has a unique live migration feature, which means infrastructure updates, patches, and maintenance are possible without a system reboot, therefore improving SAP system uptime. Live migration is only available on the GCP and not available on bare-metal implementations. GCP’s large VMs, along with this unique live migration feature, allows companies to quickly adapt to changing business priorities while still delivering tangible outcomes.

  1. Google Cloud Cost Management

Per-second billing is the ultimate in financial flexibility and cost control. Companies pay for what they use, and Google has alerts to help them securely monitor and manage their budget every step of the way.

Remember all clouds are not created equally, and each cloud journey is unique.

Are you ready to make the move to SAP S/4HANA? Register for ASUG on-demand webcast “How to Build a Business Case and Road Map to Justify Your Transformation to SAP S/4HANA." Also, learn more about SAP's relationship with the hyperscalers in "SAP Project Embrace: Huddle with Azure, AWS, and Google.” Additionally, we welcome all ASUG members to submit their ideas for blog posts they want to write.