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IT companies across the United States are increasingly looking for ways to optimize their infrastructure, and spending money on the cloud continues to rise in popularity. The cloud shift will affect more than $1 trillion in IT spending during the next five years, according to Gartner Group. This comes as no surprise, given the many benefits of shifting to a cloud-based model. One of the biggest assets of moving to the cloud is the savings a company can accrue from using what you need, when you need it. In fact, a survey from RightScale found that 53% of cloud users cited cost savings as a focus in 2017.
What's the cloud you might ask? While the Internet is no puffy white cumulus cloud, it is a metaphor for cloud computing. This means storing and accessing data and programs all over the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive. Here are some benefits of moving your company’s technology to the cloud to maximize your investment.
FLEXIBILITY
Cloud-based services are made for businesses with growing bandwidth demands. If your needs change, it’s easy to increase your cloud capacity, and if you need to scale down, the flexibility is included in the service. Utilizing this agility can give businesses using cloud computing an advantage over competitors.
STORAGE
As more businesses move into cloud computing, they’re also looking into cloud storage. Think about it this way: your workspace and information are being held in the cloud. Instead of relying on your computers and software to keep your information secure, you can access it from the internet. In this instance, cloud hosting provides for automated backups and easy access to information instantaneously.
DISASTER RECOVERY
Businesses of all shapes and sizes should consider investing in more robust disaster recovery, but for smaller businesses that might not have the cash and expertise, this is often more of a dream than reality. Cloud computing is helping small businesses be prepared for a disaster recovery by implementing cloud-based backup and recovery solutions. This can help save time, avoid large investments and roll up third-party expertise as part of the package.
WORK FROM ANYWHERE
Lucky for those who choose to work from the comfort of their own bed, with cloud computing, you can work anywhere with an internet connection. Most cloud services also offer mobile apps, so you aren’t restricted to any devices. As a result, businesses can offer employees more flexible perks, so they can enjoy the work-life balance that best suits their specific needs — without hindering productivity.
DOCUMENT CONTROL
With more employees and partners and clients collaborating on documents, there’s a greater need for watertight document control. Prior to the cloud, teams had to send files back and forth as email attachments and the documents could only be worked on by one user at a time. Inevitably, you end up with a mess of conflicting file content, formats and titles. However, when you make the move to cloud computing, files are stored centrally, and everyone has the same version of the document. This leads to great visibility, improved collaboration, better work and a healthier bottom line.
AVOID IT HEADACHES
With most businesses comes the inherent need for better, more reliable software. Unfortunately, with common 'reliable' software comes an increase in IT problems and hassles. But with cloud computing, you can let go of that burden and leave the IT and maintenance to a third party. No longer will you have to strain to keep everything up to date or have to pay to keep an IT expert in-house.
The cloud is optimal for any business owner wanting to maximize cloud usage and reduce costs, without sacrificing the ability to do business and compete with larger companies. If you’re ready to put the cloud to work for your business without making major operational changes, start small. Over time, you’ll discover new ways to utilize and benefit from the cloud and you can upgrade your storage accordingly. Haven’t moved to the cloud yet? Any of the benefits listed above would be good enough reasons to convince any business to move your assets to the cloud. What are you waiting for?
