The benefits of cloud computing are a common discussion topic when we meet with potential or ongoing clients. And why shouldn’t they be? Perhaps no single technology has had a greater effect on the modern business approach than cloud technology.
So let’s talk it over.
Here are 5 common questions about cloud computing (and some straight-forward answers, too).
1. How is it better than my current approach?
In one word, mobility. And scalability. Okay, that’s two words. But mobility and scalability represent two of cloud computing’s greatest benefits. Let’s break them down:
Mobility
With cloud computing, all your mission-critical systems and data are accessible from any internet-connected device. Not only this, but the documents and programs you access through the cloud update in real time.
This means that the moment you update that crucial spreadsheet from the airport while waiting for your flight, every other employee with applicable login credentials can see the changes.
It also means your employees are free to work from home on sick days, or work on-the-go in those moments where life takes them outside the office during work hours.
Related: 10 Technologies that Help You Work from Anywhere
Scalability
Your business will grow, and your IT must grow with it. A traditional approach to IT requires you to project that growth and apply software licensing and equipment purchases accordingly.
Maxed out servers or outdated equipment are (unfortunately) commonplace.
With cloud computing, the managed service provider (MSP) is responsible for both maintaining the licensing and upgrading the equipment. When your company grows, scaling your IT to match is as simple as upgrading your service volume. This allows for easy scaling both vertically and horizontally with the convenience and simplicity of an adjustable monthly service cost.
2. What can it do for my business productivity?
Cloud computing’s mobility can raise productivity by lowering downtime and scaling growth as needed to meet productivity needs.
Also, because the MSP takes care of all the maintenance and updates, your team never gets bogged down with these time-consuming tasks. Instead, they’re free to focus on engaging your business’s unique mission and goals.
Did you know? Employees who believe their workplace effectively uses mobile tech are more creative, satisfied, and productive at work.
3. Is it secure?
As with any IT solution, the cloud has security concerns. However, they generally amount to far less potential danger than managing your IT solutions in-house. The cloud provider stores your data and mission-critical systems on secure servers seated in data centers with military-grade encryption, which protects them from both physical access and disaster, significantly lowering the chances of downtime.
Additionally, because your software and programs update automatically, there is much less chance of hackers and malware exploiting vulnerabilities in un-updated software.
4. Is it cost effective?
In short: absolutely. Moving your IT into the cloud means switching your IT budget approach away from focusing on expensive up-front capital expenditures (CAPEX) and toward more efficient operational expenditures (OPEX).
Rather than investing a ton of upfront money into servers and equipment with no way to predict if they will perform long enough to recoup your investment, you instead take advantage of the cloud service provider’s infrastructure for a predictable monthly fee.
This frees up massive amounts of capital to be reappropriated into other areas of your business, which can facilitate faster growth.
Related: The Top Three Greatest Benefits of Cloud Computing
5. Where do I start?
Do your homework to assess your current IT approach. Then, have a conversation with a qualified managed service provider to see what cloud solutions would be the right fit for your specific business operations and needs.
We’ve only scratched the surface of what cloud technology can offer in this post. With the right IT partner, you can apply the benefits of cloud computing to your business operations in a way that will drive growth and productivity for years to come.