Cloud-Based Robotic Process Automation Software is Growing

A new report from Automation Anywhere shows the significant adoption rate for cloud-based robotic process automation software and services across the tech sector.

Richard Hay, Senior Content Producer

August 6, 2021

2 Min Read
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Over the last couple of years, robotic process automation software has gone mainstream and is seeing a shift from being an on-premises application to one that is cloud-based.

Automation Anywhere, a cloud-native robotic process automation software and services provider, recently published a survey of 263 IT decision makers on the state of robotic process automation. The respondents came from a wide range of organizations including Global 2000 companies, Fortune 500 companies, and smaller firms.

More than two-thirds of the survey respondents indicated they are active in their efforts to scale up the use of cloud-based robotic process automation software, according to Prince Kohli, Automation Anywhere’s CTO.

“The speed, security, resiliency, and other benefits of cloud RPA are leading enterprises to increasingly deploy RPA in the cloud, with more than half of survey respondents stating that they have deployed RPA either solely to the cloud or to a hybrid cloud environment,” he said.

Kohli said that on-premises-only deployments of robotic process automation tools have declined sharply since last year's survey, with only 10% of respondents planning to deploy automation tools to their on-premises footprint. Instead, respondents are planning to target exclusively cloud-based RPA or take a hybrid approach. In the next 12 months, cloud-only deployments will make up 38% of all RPA deployments – a 50% increase compared to today.

Key findings from the survey show the explosive growth of this area of technology across a broad range of industry sectors including financial, industrial materials and manufacturing, technology, retail and consumer, services and consulting, healthcare, life sciences, government, and telecom.

  • One in four organizations are actively looking for opportunities to scale their robotic process automation tools and one-third are deploying to multiple business units.

  • Spending is going up on robotic process automation software and services with organizations planning to increase spending over the next twelve months. More than 60% of those surveyed plan to increase spending by approximately 25% in that timeframe.

  • Productivity continues to drive the adoption of robotic process automation software. More than half of the surveyed organizations stated they have been able to shift employees to higher-value work which helps with employee retention and company innovation.

  • The average return on investment (ROI) when shifting workloads to robotic process automation software and services was 250% with top performers in the survey reporting an ROI of 380%.

The survey findings did point out that lack of skills and the need to train employees are the most significant barriers to implementing robotic process automation software and services. However, the survey found that low-code/no-code tools are proving to be the preferred method for adopting these automated processes because the barrier to their efficient use is much lower.

The entire report on robotic process automation software and services is available directly from Automation Anywhere.

About the Author

Richard Hay

Senior Content Producer, IT Pro Today (Informa Tech)

I served for 29 plus years in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in November 2011. My work background in the Navy was telecommunications related so my hobby of computers fit well with what I did for the Navy. I consider myself a tech geek and enjoy most things in that arena.

My first website – AnotherWin95.com – came online in 1995. Back then I used GeoCities Web Hosting for it and WindowsObserver.com is the result of the work I have done on that site since 1995.

In January 2010 my community contributions were recognized by Microsoft when I received my first Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for the Windows Operating System. Since then I have been renewed as a Microsoft MVP each subsequent year since that initial award. I am also a member of the inaugural group of Windows Insider MVPs which began in 2016.

I previously hosted the Observed Tech PODCAST for 10 years and 317 episodes and now host a new podcast called Faith, Tech, and Space. 

I began contributing to Penton Technology websites in January 2015 and in April 2017 I was hired as the Senior Content Producer for Penton Technology which is now Informa Tech. In that role, I contribute to ITPro Today and cover operating systems, enterprise technology, and productivity.

https://twitter.com/winobs

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