TechSoup
The cloud is the future of online information storage and sharing. Many people still hold on to the idea that to host their IT services on-site keeps vital information safe. But cloud-based applications have many benefits. We have five ways that your organization can benefit by a move to the cloud.
1. Save Money
There is a myth that cloud computing is expensive. This is just a myth. The root of this myth could be the upfront costs and contracts that are associated with a change to cloud-based servers.
However, because the cloud is hosted online, your organization will be able to save the money that it would have spent on hardware and maintenance. You also need not worry about upgrades or maintenance because those all happen in the cloud. The company that hosts the cloud handles everything for you, keeping your costs as low as possible.
In addition to lower costs, some companies offer a "pay as you go" system that lets you predictably determine the growth of your cost.
2. Save Time
With cloud-based operations, computing services are more reliable than those delivered on-premises, especially if your hardware is old. Cloud service providers usually have a dedicated team of experienced IT staff who can resolve your problems faster than if they were handled in-house.
Without cloud technology, if an employee doesn't report to work, that employee won't get any work done. With cloud technology, an absent employee is able to access the remote servers from wherever they are as long as they have an Internet connection. They will continue working just as if they were in the office, and that translates into higher employee productivity.
3. Collaborate More Easily
When an organization uses cloud technology, all of its data and files are accessible to everyone in the organization at all times. This benefit makes collaboration quite easy because if any employees are out of the office, they can still access the files. It's also easy to outsource when you use the cloud.
Cloud technology makes communication with your team more convenient and robust. The cloud also enables new ways to work together even though the members of a team are not next to each other.
To work in the cloud means that you can share files with faster response rates. It improves collaboration through instant access to files, the ability to co-author documents, synchronization of files, and storage of large files. These features cut out the sluggish transfer of files and the need for physical files.
Cloud technology enhances accountability with better records, made possible by features such as time stamps. Time stamps improve collaboration within a team because they establish transparency and increase accountability.
4. Scale Up or Down Easily
Having your IT services in the cloud offers easy and affordable scalability. With cloud computing, you can scale your IT up or down whenever you want to. There are no limits to how far or how fast you can scale up.
Also, applications that are hosted in the cloud can be implemented in a matter of days, with lower costs to maintain them. The scalability of cloud computing allows organizations to react faster to changing needs, offering flexibility.
So your IT staff will never have to ask for new equipment when there are no more network attachments available. A cloud system can grow on its own without limits. IT staff can intervene only as needed.
5. Stay as Secure as Possible
There's a myth that cloud computing is less secure than traditional approaches. This myth comes about because data and files are stored on servers that your organization doesn't control or own. But control doesn't always mean security. A system that is built with more rigorous security will be more secure than a system without a focus on security.
Cloud service providers' datacenters usually have multiple security defenses in place to keep your data secure. Data stored in the cloud usually has controlled access, and only those who are allowed can view it. Most cloud service providers have highly skilled professionals who regularly monitor the cloud infrastructure to identify potential security threats.
Check to make sure that any cloud solution that you consider has all these measures in place. If it does, it's safe to say that your data is more secure in the cloud than on any physical server.