A report from Flexera suggests that roughly six out of 10 businesses have transitioned to “the cloud” in an effort to save time and money. Cloud computing grants individuals and businesses access to computer system resources, like data storage, on an as-needed basis via the internet. As the world is quickly making the transition to housing software and data off-site, the role of IT consulting is changing, too. For example, consultants are working to move new technology to the cloud while also ensuring that older technology, or legacy systems, are operational within the cloud.
The cloud is a collection of servers and software that promotes productivity and profitability for your business. It offers a range of benefits, from financial savings to increased efficiency. Here are three reasons to consider transferring your business from local, on-site servers to the cloud.
1. Collaborate With Others
Your team is constantly connected via the cloud. Your employees can use any device from just about anywhere in the world to collaborate with their colleagues. The ability to sync and share in real time allows your employees the flexibility to get more accomplished more quickly. Plus, the cloud mitigates the risk of losing a file to someone’s hard drive, never to be retrieved again.
The cloud also makes room for cross-departmental collaboration. If your business makes the switch to the cloud, your sales department now has access to your marketing department’s data and information. Customer service employees can see exactly what information the accountants are collecting. This newfound opportunity for broader analysis across the business paves a direct path for faster growth and greater profit.
2. Secure Your Data
Improved security and data integrity are perhaps the greatest perk of cloud computing. Cloud security is an entire discipline dedicated to the protection of cloud environments. This includes blocking unauthorized users and hackers, as well as mitigating other risks that threaten your business’s information.
The cloud even offers protection against your own team. When files are stored in the password-protected cloud, a missing laptop doesn’t mean a data breach. Plus, if disaster strikes on site, like a flood or fire, your business’s critical information is safe and sound off-site. All files can be accessed with a device and internet connection whether in or out of the office.
3. Scale Accordingly
No longer must businesses pay in dollars and time for hardware installation and maintenance to increase physical server space. With cloud computing, physical storage is a thing of the past, and so is waiting weeks or months to upgrade. Now, businesses increase (or decrease) their computing resources on an as-needed basis, and it takes mere minutes. The time and money previously spent on troubleshooting such infrastructure upgrades can now be reallocated to innovation, growth and profit.
In addition to increased server space, cloud computing offers accessibility to high-powered resources that were once only attainable by large businesses. Now, small businesses can harness the same power as their larger competitors and drive growth at a rate that old IT infrastructure could never support.
