Introduction
Picture this: you’re running a business, and suddenly a burst pipe floods your office, destroying your computers and wiping out all your important data. Disaster, right? Well, not if you’ve got cloud computing!
Over the last couple of years, cloud computing has almost become a buzzword. If you’re wondering what the hype is all about, we’re here to tell you. Cloud computing can help your business in more ways than one. Most important – no matter what happens to your physical devices, your company can keep running smoothly.
If you’ve never used cloud computing, the concept can seem complicated. That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive guide that explains how you – as a business owner – can benefit from securing your data over the cloud. Let’s dive in!
What Exactly is Cloud Computing?
Simply put, cloud computing is a storage space for all of your digital data. Instead of keeping everything on your company’s computers, you can store your files on a big server somewhere else and access them whenever you want.
With cloud computing, you don’t have to worry about running out of space or losing valuable information if something goes wrong with your computers. It’s like having a trusty sidekick who always has your back, but for your digital life.
Nowadays, there are several options for storing your information. Your data can be kept in a private, public, or hybrid cloud. As you can guess from their name, private clouds are built within a company’s internal infrastructure. The public cloud, however, requires the internet to store and access data.
Some businesses even opt for a multi-cloud approach, which means they use the services of a number of public clouds.
If you’re curious to learn about the prices of setting up cloud computing, have a look at our IT Support & Security pricing calculator.
According to reports, customers typically save around 30-50% by switching to the cloud.
Why Cloud Computing Can Be Important For Your Business
Scalability
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, having cloud computing is a ‘must’ since it allows you to expand your infrastructure and handle an increased loaf for every application.
The best bit? Cloud computing is adjustable. Whenever you need to upsize your cloud capacity, it’s quick and easy to do so. Likewise, you can always downsize when things aren’t as busy.
Flexibility
According to a survey by KPMG, one of the main reasons business executives decide to use cloud computing is its ability to provide more flexibility. This has become even more important during and after the pandemic.
As more businesses are shifting to remote work (or partly remote), it’s crucial for employees to have access to documents and data even when they are off-site. Cloud computing is an excellent solution to this issue.
Disaster Recovery
Accidents do happen – regardless of how much we wish they didn’t. That’s why every business – no matter how big or small – should think about durable disaster recovery. If you store your data on a cloud, you’ll be able to recover all critical systems quickly. No more worrying about losing your projects or clients’ information!
Improved Performance
Successful businesses always strive to be more productive. Cloud computing is an opportunity to automate some of your tasks, which allows you and your employees to focus on more important matters.
For example, if you’re a real estate broker, you can set up outbound autoresponder email scripts, which follow up with lawyers. Tasks like retrieving data and data seeding can also be automated, which will increase your team’s productivity.
Security
In accounting and financial services, the security of your clients’ information is a priority. As a professional, you should want to go the extra mile to ensure their data is safe. When using cloud computing, accounting firms can ensure their assets and data are thoroughly secured.
Of course, the same goes for businesses in other industries. Any information that should be kept private will be safeguarded on the cloud.
More Disk Space
It’s no secret architecture and design projects tend to be quite ‘heavy’. Among the main advantages of using a cloud is the fact it can eliminate the need for computer hard drives and disk space. That, in turn, preserves the memory and allows greater machine efficiency. If your team uses software that requires a lot of RAM, this can be a real game-changer.
Organisations admit that cloud capabilities have helped them boost revenue growth.
Foundry’s 2022 Cloud Computing Research
Is Cloud Computing the Perfect Solution for Every Business?
When you Google ‘cloud computing’, you’ll see results that suggest many companies won’t survive unless they adopt cloud technology soon. However, at Ingenious, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Is cloud computing beneficial? Sure. Is it the best solution for every business? No.
If you’re debating whether switching to cloud computing is the right decision, you must remember it is no panacea.
Businesses and industries that deal with highly sensitive data, such as healthcare providers, may have concerns about the security and privacy of their information (in this case, a private cloud would be a better option).
Similarly, some industries, such as manufacturing or energy, that rely on large amounts of data from sensors or other IoT devices may find it challenging to move their data to the cloud due to bandwidth limitations or latency issues.
Questions to Ask Before Moving to the Cloud
If you’ve decided to give cloud computing a go, it’s important to ensure you receive services that fit your needs. We advise you to ask the following questions to your potential service provider:
- Who will be able to see and access my information?
- What measures will you take to encrypt my data? What about encryption keys?
- If there’s a crash – how will you restore my data?
- Where will my information be located?
- What should I know about the implementation process?
Recap Points
To ensure your data is in safe hands, it’s best to set up Cloud computing together with experienced IT service providers – like Ingenious. We’ve worked in the industry for more than 21 years and will gladly find a solution that serves your business needs best.
Moreover – we can even become your very own Information and Communications Technology department. Leave the hassle to us, and we’ll ensure your business operates more efficiently.
