According to a study made by International Data Group, roughly 73% percent of all companies have already adopted cloud computing. This figure may look impressive, but keep in mind that this study was conducted last year. Since then, the number of businesses using cloud computing has increased even more. Based on this info, it can be inferred that the cloud computing trend will soon become standard in all business spaces.
But wait, back up, what is cloud computing? Cloud computing is a new business model for handling info. Clouds are storage networks that are created and maintained by data centers. In the past, most companies had their own data centers, but now the big trend has become hiring cloud service providers.
Through outsourcing, companies invest in cloud computing resources at their pace. This gives businesses elasticity. By working with a cloud provider, your company only uses and pays for services on demand instead of buying hardware. This model is both cost effective and convenient in the long run.
To the average computer or smart phone user today, online storage and file sharing now seem so common. In fact, many often trivialize cloud computing due to its ease of use. However, cloud computing software provides an endless list of benefits for old and new companies alike. Benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked when choosing a provider.
Below, we discuss 9 benefits of cloud computing and detail what each can do for your business. From storage to safety, cloud computing offers many company advantages. By joining the cloud computing craze, you can transform your company into a force to be reckoned with.
Enhanced Data Security and Monitoring
One of the keys to having a top performing business is data security. Sadly, many businesses often underfund or ignore this component. Let’s face it, a poorly setup network can be a huge problem. However, a business that correctly uses the cloud benefits from better data security.
This is true, if and only if a business follows the best practices when setting up their cloud space. A cloud computing system can be much better than having in-office storage if it includes user management, strong encryption, and a good offsite IT team. All these needs can be granted and enforced by your service provider.
A properly setup cloud keeps your business safe by letting your IT team access your company data even after the office closes for the day. This ensures 24/7 monitoring and direct access by your office staff. Monitoring like this simply isn’t possible with in-office hard drives.
Greater Cooperation Through Cloud Computing
As brought up earlier, 24/7 monitoring isn’t possible with in-office hard drives. The beauty of the cloud is that your data is stored online and can be accessed from any authorized point. This is known as “resource pooling” and it can save both you and your service provider a ton of money. While this provides added security, it also allows for greater teamwork overall.
By investing in cloud computing, you allow for your seperate company teams to have a more direct connection to each other. Gone are the days of sending emails and making office phone calls. The cloud’s omnipresence allows your workers to quickly share data by syncing their devices to the company network.
Increased communication has been known to improve productivity in the workplace. Connecting all your teams together decreases the chances of errors and keeps all office staff in the loop. In addition, having a cloud network allows your outsourced IT team to play an intimate role in the office.
Increased Cost Efficiency Through The Cloud
This sync leads us to our next point, cost efficiency. Having reliable hard drives can be very costly and hard to maintain. Even great hard drives break down over time due to natural decay. When setting up a cloud network, you aren’t buying hardware, you’re signing up for an account.
Your software account is virtual, so there is no upkeep or hard drive replacement cost. Cloud network infrastructure is constantly checked by providers. It is the job of these providers to ensure that their hardware remains in working order. Their entire job is maintaining servers in order to keep your company in top shape.
A cloud computing account can be set up to fit your business needs. Do you need more storage? Upgrade your plan. Are you scaling back your business? Downgrade! The beauty of cloud computing is that it’s mailable. Each plan is uniquely designed to fit the specific needs of a given company.
A good cloud computing service provider will act with you to figure out your business needs. This way, the cost of having a connected network can be much cheaper than buying standard storage space. This elastic business model leads us to our next point.
Added Cloud Service Flexibility
The cloud’s ability to fit your specific company needs means that the services that come with it can be shaped to your needs as well. Good service providers cater to your needs instead of selling you “packages.” The advantages of cloud computing mean flexible file storage and management when you need it. You can store data by simply logging on and stop added storage by logging off.
A standard among cloud service providers is to offer you “pay-as-you-go” options. These options allow you to gauge your business’s performance and pay for added space depending on your needs. This means you can update your storage, processing, and bandwidth independently.
A cloud computing system can also act as a sync storage space and much more depending on your company. There are several software products that allow for document and report sharing as well. Retail companies especially can benefit from inventory and record-keeping using the cloud.
The advantages of cloud computing can even play a big role in the involvement of outsourced personnel. We already mentioned how an outsourced IT team can monitor your business via the cloud. The same 24/7 remote access feature of this system also allows for outsourced record keeping.
Virtual Human Resource and Inventory Management
Large retail companies rely on big storage archives to catalog their product data. Cloud computing allows retailers to save on space by giving them dedicated virtual storage. The cooperation that the cloud offers comes into play here as well. By having an all-inclusive inventory file, several teams in the office can make updates to products in real-time.
This ability also extends to Human Resources and other forms of document storage. In fact, a trustworthy service provider can basically handle all your applicant screening and W-2 storage for you. Your cloud provider can be hired to take care of wages and taxes, making them a cheap alternative to hiring in-office staff.
This cloud computing trait is known as “virtualization.” Though the cloud, both businesses and service providers have the control to manage workloads across many compute servers. This is radically more efficient than the classic method of using file cabinets.
Increased Network Cloud Reliability
This cost efficiency does not compromise on reliability. The cloud is a system that exists in a virtual space and therefore cannot be disrupted. This is especially true when your cloud is distributed across many data centers in multiple locations.
Arguably, a company can have several data centers, but most find this to be costly. Having a service provider with several centers means that hardware and upkeep cost is completely removed out of the equation.
Having many facilities –made possible through outsourcing cloud support— adds to network speed. This is important for businesses that have many offices. Data centers that are within an office’s proximity can offer a stronger connection. By using the cloud for large businesses, you assure that all your offices are linked and work quickly.
Just about all cloud services feature programs that are updated in real-time as well, leaving little room for data loss. The automatic saves and update features of the network mean that your workers are always aware of changes. This added to the Cloud’s on-demand access and external storage mean that workers can check up on company memos at any time.
No More Company Downtime
The cloud’s reliability can come in handy during times of crisis. Company downtime is a huge financial burden for businesses everywhere. Downtime is the stoppage of most if not all company activities, often due to disasters. A power outage, a storm, even an earthquake can cost your company millions of dollars.
By using cloud services, companies can drastically decrease money loss even in times of tragedy. The cloud’s virtual storage system can act both as an archive and a hub for business activity. By allowing for remote access, workers can connect to and continue their work even if the company HQ becomes inaccessible. This kind of reliability and flexibility is what makes the cloud such a valuable resource.
In addition, modern cloud networks are even designed to prevent excessive traffic. A common tactic among organized hackers is to overwhelm servers through DDoS attacks. cloud networks are now designed to check, absorb, and scatter these attacks in order to prevent total system shutdown.
But what if a service provider’s data center experiences downtime? Most service providers operate in many locations across the world. If worse comes to worst and your service provider becomes completely inactive, at least you won’t have to pay to restore it.
Comfortable Business Scaling and Development
The benefits of cloud computing for business extend far beyond the present day. While the cloud is an invaluable tool for keeping files secure now, it can also help scale businesses in the long run. The cloud does not require any hardware updates for businesses that use it, it simply requires account registration.
Cloud service providers can update business software remotely at will. This process, known as “rapid elasticity,” means that systems can be quickly improved in parts as you need them. For example, if your company receives new products and needs more space for reports, your cloud computing tech can be updated to allow for that. This can be done without requiring you to spend more money on other cloud services.
As soon as your offsite IT team notices an update or patch, they can easily add it to your office system. This can be done remotely and without the need for hard to figure out installation or downtime. The network’s connectivity means that your office staff can continue working while your major business software gets updated.
Future Preparation Through Cloud Computing
The use of cloud computing is rapidly growing. According to a report compiled by MarketsandMarkets, the total cloud computing market size is said to grow to $623.3 billion by 2023. This is a dramatic increase from last year’s $272 billion. This trend is especially visible in the retail sector, wherein the vertical has been completely disrupted. A big portion of retail companies now use cloud services for storage, backup, and security, finding them both convenient and cost-effective.
This trend has already changed how people do business and will only continue to expand in the coming years. We mentioned earlier that one of the keys to a prospering business is data security. Another key, one not often talked about, is speed.
Original thinkers are those who adapt quickly and use the best tools to create strong enterprises. By jumping into the cloud early, you are assuring your business’s future growth. As cloud networks become bigger and stronger, your business can scale along with them. The market is changing quickly and the time to enter the cloud space is right now.
Finding a Great Cloud Service Provider
At XOverture, we pride ourselves on providing comprehensive IT services to fit all business needs. Our company features a dedicated staff of professionals ready to support and scale your company. Some of our services include; managed IT with 24/7 monitoring, ransomware prevention, and a managed cloud. Improve your business now by investing in its future. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business grow!
