Cloud computing can elevate a small business’ proficiency in several different ways. About 85% of today’s businesses are using a multi-cloud strategy to increase their productivity. This number has dramatically increased in the past couple of years. Now a growing number of companies have moved from using applications on their office computers to hosting them on a remote cloud server. This is because there are numerous benefits involved in doing so, which is making cloud computing the new norm. In fact, it’s estimated that most businesses will use at least one cloud service by the end of this year. There are a lot of great reasons why this is happening.
Enable a Flexible Workplace
Ring Central says that your company isn’t the only one that will benefit from adopting the cloud. When all the information they need is stored in the cloud, they can easily work from home. This is something that’s been seen over the years with only 9% of employees working from home in 1995 to 37% in 2015. Since many companies started adopting cloud technologies in 2010, this number has continued to rapidly grow. In fact, most people now telecommute at least twice a month. Additionally, the Bring your Own Device (BYOD) trend has also been made possible by the cloud.
Say Goodbye to IT Problems
With cloud computing, you can outsource IT work so that the risks and burdens that are associated with maintaining this infrastructure no longer rests on your shoulders. When you work with a good service provider, everything is taken care of for you – including updates, security, and routine maintenance. Cloud Computing will save you a lot of time and money that you can then spend on other things that are more important.
More Flexible, Functional and Efficient
Today’s business landscape is continuing to change. As it does, it’s interesting to watch how some companies adapt. Unfortunately, it’s too late for some of them though. They’ve let things go because certain aspects of the business are difficult to adapt. Nevertheless, it’s important to stay as nimble as possible. Thankfully, this is something that’s easier with help from the cloud. This virtual solution allows you to quickly respond to internal demands. You can also easily increase the use of the cloud when your user demand increases or drop it when it decreases. By doing so, you can eliminate the problem of over-provisioning and you also won’t have to deal with IT systems overload.
Increased Data Security
As your company starts adopting cloud-based services, security becomes paramount. Fortunately, cloud services are starting to improve their safety record. According to one recent survey, security should no longer be one of your top concerns when you adopt cloud services. This is because cloud service companies have improved their game so they can accommodate big players like Toyota. These companies have realized that the cloud is safer than risking having an employee misplace or even lose their laptop, resulting in a large expense when the company has to retrieve the lost data. Of course, some companies are still concerned about security, which is why cloud services are continually upgrading their security measures to meet these demands.
When you choose to work with a cloud provider like Oracle, arguing about security is a mute point. They have robust protocols in place that they’ve clearly outlined so you can have complete confidence in working with them. They treat your security as their number one priority, devoting extensive resources to it. This is why they’re one of the leading cloud providers today.
Enhanced Collaboration
When you use cloud computing your teams can all collaborate on work, regardless of their location. This means they’re better connected than ever before. It also means productivity is increased by as much as 400% – this according to a recent survey conducted by Frost & Sullivan. This is because they can access relevant files and documents from any location. By eliminating the unsecured, time-consuming process of sending files back and forth over email and using the cloud instead, you streamline the process. You can even simplify your communication with a business phone system for your enterprise. All of this allows your employees to access files from a central location, which will help your bottom line.
Easy Data Recovery
You don’t have to worry about data loss when you store all your data in the cloud. This will save you from investing in expensive disaster recovery systems. Instead, you’ll be proactive by safeguarding your data. With the help of virtualization technologies, you can also incorporate cloud-based recovery models so a copy of all your data is readily available if something still goes wrong.
Access to the Best Technologies
Cloud computing gives small businesses the opportunity to access high-end, state-of-the-art technologies that only large IT companies had access to in the past. Outsource 2 India says this enhances your productivity, process efficiency, cash flow, and offers various other benefits as well. This helps you act faster and compete better with bigger businesses. All of it is something that’s easily scalable so your business can also continue to grow. As such, you no longer need to forecast how many servers you need to buy. You also don’t need to hide servers in a closet for later or buy more space, so you can continue to grow your business.
Today, you simply need to alter your usage with your cloud provider. They’re the ones that are responsible for allocating more space to you and for charging you more money for this. However, the opposite is also true in that if you need fewer computing resources, your cloud provider will let you reduce your usage.
The fact that cloud technology scales with your business’ computing needs opens a whole host of new applications. Business says there are also a lot of great new ways companies are leveraging the cloud today. For instance, Toyota is using Microsoft Azure to host apps that allow their employees to connect to Facebook and they’re also using it to reward “eco-points” to customers who are buying electric vehicles from them. This is just a small glimpse of how the cloud can help you and your business today.
Mila Jones is a Senior Business Consultant, Technology. With rich experience in the domains of technology consulting and strategy, she works with both established technology brands and market entrants to offer research inputs and insights on leveraging technology as a source of strategic competitive advantage. She is a prolific author and shares her expertise with tech enthusiasts on popular digital publishing platforms.
