How to Profit from Cloud Computing?

There are many reasons for SMB’s (Small Medium sized Businesses) to outsource IT, and what better way to do it than by learning how to profit from cloud computing? With a simple internet connection you can have many of the services larger enterprises enjoy, but for a fraction of the price. Cloud Computing simply put is an application running on another server out on the internet somewhere that a client can connect to via the internet. People are using cloud services such as XBOX live, Hotmail/Gmail, or any social media site and don’t even realize it.

The biggest advantage, or the one that rings true to most people, is cost savings on hardware and software. Take for example using a hosted Exchange versus an on premise solution, buying the software and hardware is a large initial capital outlay for most companies. With a hosted solution you would pay a simple monthly fee based on the number of users in your organization.

My favorite advantage is the limited administration needed after your service has been placed into the cloud. All updates and patches are done by the provider and with most plans you are automatically upgraded to the latest version of the product. Backups are a thing of the past since it is now up to the provider to make sure your data is protected. This frees IT resources up to concentrate more on helping your business instead of getting bogged down in mundane administrative tasks.

Uptime for your critical business applications is a must. With cloud computing there is only one factor that can bring down the application, the office internet connection. Internet connections have been so reliable over the years, which is why companies are trusting Cloud Computing more and more. If you had an on premise solution factors such as power, hardware failure, and the college intern could all affect your uptime. If the power does go out in your office, you can always connect to your application from another computer with internet access. How much would your company lose if an on premise application were to fail?

Many people are still nervous about putting their company data out into the cloud for various reasons, but the cost benefits are immense. Cloud computing can make a company more efficient while at the same time saving money. Give us a call at 540-283-9690 or fill out our contact form today so we can talk about ways to integrate the cloud into your current environment.