Why cloud adoption in finance is so hard and what to do about it

The cloud isn’t just a tech shift, it’s a mindset shift

Cloud isn’t merely a technical migration. It’s a fundamental rethinking of how services are built, delivered and secured. And in the financial sector, where regulation, security and trust are everything, this change is even more profound.

Take development speed, for example. In a traditional setup, launching a new service like a new risk model might take weeks of setup, approvals and environment provisioning. In a modern cloud-native model, that same environment can be created securely in hours through self-service. The cloud enables teams to go from idea to pilot without compromising compliance or governance.

Or consider security & resilience. When a platform is cloud-native, security isn’t bolted on at the end, it’s embedded from the start. Real-time threat detection, automated backups, disaster recovery simulations- these aren’t luxuries anymore, they’re essentials. And the cloud makes them possible and scalable.

So why do so many still struggle?

From our experience, there are three common pitfalls:

1. Cloud is seen as an infrastructure project. In many organisations, cloud initiatives begin in IT but fail to connect with business goals. When cloud is treated like a traditional infrastructure upgrade rather than a business capability enabler, the result is underused potential. The cloud should be a strategic enabler for business development, security, resilience and compliance, and not just a hosting environment. That shift in thinking changes everything.
2. Security and compliance are handled reactively. Without clear guardrails and governance, teams are left guessing. In finance, that’s not just risky, it’s unacceptable. Security needs to be built into every layer, not added later. And compliance (e.g. DORA) shouldn’t be a scramble before audits. It should be a continuous, visible part of how cloud is operated.
3. Lack of true ownership from partners. Many cloud vendors focus on implementation, not transformation. But financial institutions don’t just need someone to “run the cloud.” They need a partner who understands the domain, takes ownership of the big picture and advises on the best practices.

What financial institutions should look for

If you’re on the cloud journey or considering the first steps, here’s what we believe matters most:

• Strategic advisory, not just ticket response: You need a partner who brings insight and advises on how to drive change, not just executes. At Solita, we embed local, agile, cloud-native teams who understand your business context and actively guide decisions. We’re not sitting in a support queue. We’re hands-on, helping shape direction and remove blockers in real time.
• Developer enablement, not constraints: When developers can move fast and stay secure, the business wins. But speed doesn’t mean chaos. With the right controls like built-in policy enforcement, least-privilege access and service-level compliance checks, teams can deliver faster and stay within guardrails. It’s about giving freedom within a secure, well-governed framework.
• Built-in compliance and security from day one: With regulations like DORA, compliance can’t be an afterthought. It has to be part of the architecture and daily operations. That’s why our managed cloud services are built to meet strict requirements, including ISO 27001 certification. Security, access control and audit readiness are baked in from the start, not added later.
• Full-stack visibility and control: Cloud operations must be transparent and manageable from real-time cost tracking to understanding your security posture. Financial institutions need clear, centralised visibility into usage, access, compliance status, and cloud spend to stay in control and make informed decisions.

How we can help

We’ve built our Financial Industry Cloud specifically to address these realities. It’s not just a set of tools, it’s a service concept built with and for financial organisations. With it, we help customers:

• Align cloud strategy with business and regulatory goals
• Build secure, compliant foundations on Azure, AWS or GCP
• Enable faster development cycles through platform engineering
• Ensure operational resilience with 24/7 monitoring and proactive support

But perhaps most importantly, we take ownership. Our teams aren’t offshore ticket resolvers, they’re embedded, empowered and committed to your outcomes.

Are you getting the value you expected from cloud? If not, maybe it’s time to rethink the approach, not the technology. Let’s talk.