Insights from Pulsate’s Director of Information Security & Data Privacy, Ross McDermott in Bank Automation News
Cloud adoption in financial services isn’t just about technology—it’s about strategy, efficiency, and long-term growth.
With Google Cloud revenue up 30% YoY to $12 billion and Microsoft Cloud hitting $40.9 billion, it’s clear that financial institutions are prioritizing cloud investments in 2025. But are they asking the right questions before making the leap?
A recent Bank Automation News article, “15 Questions Cloud Leaders Ask About Cloud Investment,” explores the key considerations financial institutions must address—and Pulsate’s InfoSec & Data Privacy lead, Ross McDermott, weighed in on some of the most critical ones.
Ross McDermott’s Take: Cloud Investment Must Deliver More Than Just Infrastructure
At Pulsate, we’ve seen firsthand that cloud isn’t just an IT decision—it’s an operational game-changer. Ross McDermott’s insights challenge financial institutions to think beyond the surface-level benefits and ask:
1. What other parts of the business can leverage our cloud investment?
Most institutions see cloud as a technology cost, but it’s really a business enabler. Cloud simplifies employee lifecycles, automates identity management, integrates with HRIS systems, enables quicker product deployments, and reduces administrative overhead. If your cloud investment isn’t making your organization more efficient, you’re not fully leveraging its potential.
2. Are we prepared to be locked into a vendor for a specific service?
Exciting new cloud features are great—but are they exclusive? Before committing to Vendor A’s flashy new offering, financial leaders need to assess:
- Does any other provider offer a similar feature?
- What are the costs of switching providers if the feature underperforms?
- How difficult (and expensive) would it be to remediate if we need to pivot?
3. Have we invested in staff training to maximize cloud capabilities?
Switching to cloud or migrating services from on-prem isn’t just a technical move—it requires empowering employees to make the most of new capabilities. Investing in cloud training is just as important as the operational benefits the technology provides.
4. Have we reviewed business continuity and disaster recovery (BCP/DR) in the cloud?
BCP/DR looks vastly different between on-prem and cloud environments. Financial institutions must ask:
- How do our existing hot/warm/cold sites support different products in the cloud?
- Have we determined which secondary availability zones we’ll use for failover?
- Are we using our existing hot sites for general ledger (GL), and does it still make sense?
5. What are we expecting cloud to enable for our business over the next 5-10 years?
Cloud isn’t just about today—it’s about the next decade of banking. Strategic leaders should be thinking:
- Does cloud flexibility help us expand into new markets?
- Can it improve data warehousing and unlock better fintech partnerships?
- How does this investment align with our long-term digital engagement strategy?
Cloud-First, Engagement-First
At Pulsate, we work with community banks and credit unions to transform cloud investments into powerful consumer engagement engines. The real competitive advantage isn’t just cloud investment—it’s what you do with it.
Ross’ insights make one thing clear: CFIs that see cloud as just an infrastructure decision are missing the bigger picture. Cloud enables real-time engagement, personalized experiences, and better business agility—if leveraged correctly.
Read the full article on Bank Automation News: 15 Questions Cloud Leaders Ask About Cloud Investment
Let’s talk—how is your FI using the cloud to drive growth? Connect with Pulsate to explore how cloud investments can power smarter engagement and long-term success. 🚀
Source: Bank Automation News
