Cloud computing has been around for over twenty years. Even though it has repeatedly been shown to benefit businesses with efficiency, competitiveness and cost benefits, many companies continue to mistrust cloud computing.
What is cloud computing?
In its simplest terms, Cloud computing means using the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive to access and store data and programs. Basically, the “cloud” is just another word for the internet. What cloud computing is not is anything to do with your hard drive. Any time you save a document to your hard drive or run programs from it, that is considered local computing and storage. It keeps everything close at hand and is fast and easy for one computer. Working off your hard drive was how the computer industry functioned in the past, and some argue that this is still the best way.
What can it do for you?
If you’re still on the fence about whether cloud computing could benefit your company – or you’re looking to build an argument for your boss as to why they should invest – here are ten things cloud computing can do for you.
1. Flexibility
Your business doesn’t have unlimited resources, which is why finding a solution that gives your business more flexibility is a crucial way to increase profits. Suppose your current IT solution is causing you to commit most of your time and attention to data-storage issues. In that case, you aren’t going to have as much mental bandwidth to give to satisfying business goals and customers. If you were to outsource all your IT hosting and infrastructure, you would have more time to focus on aspects of your business that directly affect your income. Cloud computing offers more flexibility for your business versus hosting on a local server. And if it’s more bandwidth than you need, you can use a cloud-based service that can instantly meet your demand instead of undergoing an expensive upgrade to your IT infrastructure.
2. Mobility
Cloud computing lets you access your corporate data via smartphones and other devices. Considering more than 2 billion smartphones are in use globally, investing in cloud computing is a great way to make sure no one is left out of the loop. Even staff with busy schedules who work remotely can use this feature to keep up-to-date business documents and have ongoing conversations with clients and coworkers.
3. Data is money
Within the millions of bits of data that go into your customer transactions and business processes are invaluable pieces of information. Sifting through all this data can be quite tricky–unless you have access to the right data & analytics solutions. Many cloud-based solutions offer integrated cloud analytics that will give you a better understanding of your data. With all your information stored on the cloud, it’s easy to implement tracking mechanisms and build customized solutions for your business to increase efficiencies and build better plans to meet organizational goals.
4. Increased collaboration
Cloud computing makes collaboration between employees or even separate offices exceptionally simple. Team members will be able to share information easily and securely and make suggestions and modifications to the work without altering the core documents stored on their own computers.
5. Disaster recovery
While there may be no way to anticipate or prevent every disaster that could harm your business, having a sound disaster recovery plan will help prevent further damage and speed up your recovery. Cloud-based services allow for speedy data recovery for all kinds of potential disasters, from power outages to natural disasters. Up to 20% of cloud users could complete their recovery in four hours or less.
6. Security
Many businesses worry about the security of using cloud computing services, but the reality is that cloud computing can provide your data with immense security. A cloud host’s job is to continuously monitor security, which is much more efficient and effective than an in-house system. While businesses may not like to consider the idea of internal data theft, it’s actually a very common occurrence. By keeping your sensitive data offset, you could prevent being one of the many businesses that fall victim to their internal data theft.
7. Automatic Software Updates
Outdated software is one of the most common ways that businesses fall victim to hacking. Still, it can be difficult and time-consuming to monitor your software to make sure everything is up-to-date constantly. Cloud-based applications take care of that for you by automatically updating and refreshing themselves. This frees up your IT staff to perform other tasks and saves money. It also protects your company in the long term.
8. Sustainability
With the current state of the environment, businesses have to demonstrate their dedication to the environment and climate and find ways to save money. Keeping your business more sustainable is not only about public appearances but is also about reducing wastefulness and increasing efficiency.
Cloud computing not only supports environmental endeavors but also saves money for your business by reducing the use of physical products and reducing computer-related emissions by allowing your employees to work from anywhere. It also reduces paper waste. If you decide to completely get rid of your hard drives, make sure to dispose of them properly and safely via hard drive shredding services.
9. Loss prevention
If your business doesn’t use cloud computing, then all your valuable (and often irreplaceable) data is directly tied to the office computers that contain it. While this may not seem like a big deal, the reality is that if your local hardware experiences a catastrophic issue, you might end up losing all your data. It’s not uncommon for computers to malfunction for many reasons, including age-deterioration and viruses, to user error. Your physical hardware can also be stolen. If your data is on the cloud, the physical device is only an access point and not the be-all, end-all.
10. Competitive edge
If you’re trying to get a leg up on your competition, cloud computing puts you at an advantage. Implementing a cloud-based solution before your competitors do, you will be putting yourself at a significant advantage. A recent Verizon study demonstrated that 77% of businesses feel that cloud computing gives them a competitive edge.
What are some concerns?
Many midsized businesses resist moving from traditional services to cloud-based servers because they don’t fully understand the technology. They worry about the costs of investing in new tech and they worry about the security risks of having their data offsite. While some companies have legitimate reasons for this, such as confidential documentation that falls under government jurisdiction, many businesses simply need their fears addressed.
By explaining to cautious businesses that cloud computing is actually a secure method of storing data and explaining how the software works, businesses will feel validated and heard and be more willing to take the leap.
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