Cloud computing is becoming a hot industry buzz-word in the technology industry, but it is something that every company should pay attention to.
Cloud computing involves accessing applications and files remotely. A third party data provider may offer remote storage and access to applications, or a company can set up its own cloud depending on its business needs.
Either way, cloud computing presents some significant benefits to employers and if your company has not yet looked into cloud computing, it is time to seriously start thinking about upgrading.
Upgrade to Enjoy Cost Benefits
The traditional model of corporate computer use involved IT departments purchasing computer software and hardware for each employee.
When an employee needed access to a computer program, a separate license would need to be purchased to allow this to occur. This could quickly become expensive, especially in large companies with multiple employees.
With cloud computing, on the other hand, software applications can be kept on the cloud and accessed by all employees.
Depending upon the cloud service provider and the specific application, it may be possible to purchase unlimited use for a designated number of employees or it may be possible to pay only when employees actually use an application.
This choice between metered cloud service or flat-rate cloud service allows employers flexibility they did not have before and can help to cut costs significantly.
According to Industry Week.com, one manufacturing company was able to migrate 5,000 email boxes to the cloud and cut IT costs in half by doing so. This resulted in a reported savings of $500,000 for the company.
Upgrade for Added Flexibility
Cloud computing is very flexible. It is possible to use the cloud only for file storage, only for certain applications, or as a complete replacement to your current software and hardware system.
It is up to the individual company to determine what application suites are appropriate for their use and to decide how much of an investment they want to make in migrating to the cloud.
Once a company has switched over to cloud computing, employees will enjoy greater flexibility as well. Since applications are accessed remotely, it is possible for employees to access them anywhere that the company wishes to allow them to, and whenever the company wishes to allow them to.
This can help to facilitate options such as telecommuting and flextime, which can save a company money on office space and help make a company more attractive to potential employees.
Many cloud computing providers have RaaS disaster recovery plans which not only backup your files on a regular basis, it allows for your business to get back on track in the event of a disaster.
Upgrade for Added Integration
When you use the cloud, all of your different applications can be integrated by your cloud service provider and can be integrated with your existing applications as well.
Because information is stored remotely and can be shared among employees, it is also possible for employees to collaborate more easily and ensure they have the most up-to-date versions of projects they are working on together.
Upgrade for Convenience
Cloud storage is convenient, not just because it can be accessed from anywhere, but also because it puts someone else in charge of problems and upgrades.
Rather than IT having to install software on every computer and keep it updated with patches and add-ons, all of this is taken care of by the cloud service provider, freeing up IT’s time for more important tasks.
This, too, can provide yet another cost benefit for the employer as well as serving as an important reason why it is time to migrate to the cloud.
I can name one reason why you shouldn’t “upgrade”: Security.
Just how safe is mission critical data when you trust it to a cloud access provider?
If you don’t control the hardware, you don’t control the data.
Period.