Moving over to a cloud server essentially means your business is hosted on the internet, rather than on an in-house server. Internal servers come with their own set of problems, and usually require an extensive IT department to keep things ticking over and to come to the rescue should any crises occur.
What does cloud computing for businesses look like? Well, the biggest element for businesses tends to be hosted desktops. That means that, instead of having to sit and work at a specific computer to get your work done, you can access it from anywhere, on any device – because everything you need is on the internet. Oh, and everything is handled by your cloud service provider – meaning less work for you.
So What Does Cloud Computing Mean for Your Business?
Save Money
Saving money is the reason most business owners switch to cloud hosting solutions. You don’t need to upgrade software or hardware nearly so often (if at all), and you’ll be able to reduce your IT department drastically – if not wipe it out altogether, depending on the size of your business.
Make Your Employees Happier
Everyone knows happy employees are the key to a successful business. Well, maybe not everyone knows. But the successful guys sure do. How can a cloud solution make your employees happier? By allowing them to work from home and on their own devices. Giving your employees more autonomy will show that you trust them and help boost their productivity levels too.
Work from Anywhere
The benefits of being able to work from anywhere extend beyond making your employees happier. If you travel a lot for your business or have a long commute time, a cloud solution could allow you to use that time productively. Kids are ill? Snow blocking the driveway? If you can’t make it into the office – no problem, just work from home.
Are There Any Disadvantages of Cloud Computing?
There are downsides, of course. Putting your business’ documents and data into the hands of an external agent means it could be less secure. You won’t have as much control over it, and allowing employees to work from their own devices is a path fraught with potential security hazards – but that doesn’t necessarily mean your business will be unsafe. In fact, it could be safer: if your in-house server fails and your IT guys can’t rescue it, what then? Shared internet servers can drastically reduce the risk of losing vital data.
Is Cloud Computing Right for Your Business?
Is making the move over to the cloud right for you and your business? Well, chances are you’re already using it to some degree. Do you use Gmail or another external webmail service, instead of an in-house email server? How about Google Docs, Dropbox, or another online storage solution? Those things are all hosted on cloud servers.
It’s also worth considering that cloud service providers… well, that’s what they do. Keeping on top of the latest security measures and making sure all hardware and software is up-to-date, is kinda their expertise. Chances are they know what they’re doing, and they do it well.
