If you’ve been too preoccupied with the business of growing your
business to consider what cloud computing could offer, don’t fret. Here
are five points to help you decide whether the time is ripe for your
business to invest in the cloud.
1. Lower Cost of Ownership
Moving your business-critical data and applications to the cloud
can be significantly more cost-effective than maintaining on-site server
hardware. As your data is stored offsite, there’s no need to invest in
the costly purchase, maintenance, or upgrade of onsite server hardware.
Additionally, as the data and software your company depends upon
moves off-site, you may be able to scale back the number of IT employees
or contractors needed to keep your on-site hardware running. All of
this can add up to a sizable chunk of change that could be directed
towards other areas of your business.
2. Dependability
Speaking of IT personnel, when you turn your data-wrangling over to
a company that specializes in providing cloud computing solutions to
business, you’re not just investing in an off-site storage solution, but
you’re also buying the peace of mind. Cloud solution providers like Amazon, IBM, Cisco, and Microsoft
staff trained personnel ready to respond to emergencies, frustrations,
and failures 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, ensuring that you and
your employees will have access to business files and applications, and
the assistance to use them effectively when needed.
What’s more, by default, cloud computing provides an instant
off-site backup solution. Should disaster strike at your office, the
continuity of your business will be ensured, thanks to the fact that
your important client, supplier and financial information are all stored
elsewhere.
3. Scalability
Having a computing solution that can grow quickly to meet the
demands of your employees and customers is a must. As your business
grows, your cloud computing solution can quickly be scaled to meet the
increasing demand data demands of your employees and customers. This can
be especially important for companies who rely on Web-based sales as a
significant part of their revenue streams: A lack of server capacity can
quickly translate into lost sales.
4. Mobility
With
your company’s data streaming from the cloud, you and your workforce
can be productive anywhere there’s Internet connectivity. Employees can
work from their desks or from their cars. You can access, work on, and
update mission-critical data, such as a PowerPoint presentation for an
important client, from your office before sales personnel use it on the
other side of the country.
Perhaps most importantly, on days where you just can’t bear the
thought of heading into work, you’ll still be able to keep tabs on your
business from a laptop or tablet from the comfort of your own home.
(Just remember to change out of your pajamas before doing any video conferencing.)
5. Future-Proofing
Everyone knows that a new car depreciates as soon as you drive it
off the lot. The same can be said for computing solutions: As soon as
you invest in new hardware or software, something faster or more
efficient will be announced. Thanks to cloud computing, this cruel
reality becomes a frustration of the past. Cloud computing provisioning
is a business, and just like any other money-making venture, competition
is the name of the game. As new, faster technologies emerge, you can
bet that your provider will jump at the opportunity to provide them to
you, for fear of losing your business to another company. This means
that the software you use, and the speed at which you’ll be able to
access your data will typically be second to none.
By (pcworld.com)