Approximately twenty years back cloud computing was introduced, and over the years despite the improvement businesses saw in its overall efficiencies and the cost-benefits received, many businesses still have not opted for cloud computing. As per research by the International Data Group, today 69% of businesses are using cloud technology in some capacity or other. While 18% of the businesses plan to implement cloud-computing solutions sometime in the future.
In a report published by DELL, mentioned that companies which are investing in big data, cloud, mobility, and security are enjoying more than 53% higher revenue growth as compared to their competitors. The data shows that a large number of tech-savvy businesses have not started recognizing the importance of cloud computing and its benefits to the business. As many companies have shifted to a remote work model, cloud-based collaboration programs such as SaaS BPM to manage their business processes in an efficient, transparent and secure way.
Businesses are using cloud computing solutions to efficiently run their operations, improve customer service, and above all increase their overall revenue and income.
What is Cloud Computing?
In today’s digital world, there has been a data explosion and it has become extremely difficult for individuals and businesses to safeguard their vital information, programs, and systems on their in-house computer servers. The solution to this issue has always been available since the introduction of the internet, however, cloud computing has gained popularity and is being used widely only in recent times. Cloud computing functions similarly to web-based email clients. It allows users to access all their data without having to actually keep the data stored on their own computers. Gmail, Google Drive, Facebooks etc. are the most common examples of cloud computing, which people are using daily and are not aware about it.
Under all these services, users send their personal data to a cloud-hosted server which stores this data, which can be accessed anytime when required in the future. We all know how useful these applications are for personal use, it’s not surprising that such services can be extremely valuable for businesses which require storing and accessing huge amounts of data over a secure, online network connection. Cloud computing offers rapid innovation, flexibility in the resources and economies of scale. It offers the flexibility of “pay per use” feature which allows businesses to pay only for the services used by them, which helps in lower the operating costs and running the infrastructure more effectively and efficiently.
Why a Business should care about Cloud Computing?
Cost reduction
If a business establishes its own data center it will be too expensive. It will need to invest in equipment and employ technicians for installing and managing the data center. However, if a business shift to cloud computing, they would be required to only pay for the services they availed. Cloud computing service providers charge for their services depending on the features, storage capacity, number of users, time, and memory space availed by the business. Therefore a business can opt for a package which can suit their budget and requirements. This will help them save a lot of cost.
Mobility
The most important advantage of cloud computing is that it provides mobility to the business. Cloud computing provides the employees with the flexibility to work from any location as they are connected to the cloud. They can access data and complete their tasks even if they are not in the office and are on the field or at home. The company can also reduce the number of workstations by allowing some employees to work from home, this can also help to save further costs. With the help of a fast internet connection one can get real-time updates of all operations in the business using cloud computing.
Scalability
In the earlier times, in order to plan for future growth businesses used to purchase and keep additional servers, storage, licenses etc. However, nobody knew how many years it would take for actual growth and for the purchased servers and licenses to come into use. If you are using cloud computing services, scaling them is easy. In case of growth or higher requirement, you can simply get additional storage space whenever required by an additional amount. You can easily upgrade or downgrade your package or plan with the service provider hassle-free.
Backup and disaster recovery
If a business is following the traditional computing system it will need to take back up of its data. A tragedy can end up in permanent data loss for the business if there was no proper backup in place. However, if a business is using the cloud for storing its data, it would not be required to keep a backup of the stored data. As the data stored on the cloud would always be available as long as there is an internet connection. Many businesses use cloud computing services as their backup and disaster recovery plan.
Security
Using cloud computing services to store data is much safer and more secure than storing data on physical servers. In case of a breach of security at the company premises and theft of laptops or computers, it could lead to data compromise. If the data is stored on the cloud, in case of theft you can delete any confidential data remotely or transfer it to another account. The security of the cloud platforms is very strong and difficult to breach.
It can be helpful, though, to employ the services of a managed services provider during this time you transfer to the cloud. You want a secure infrastructure for all your computers, networks, and cloud systems, and having an expert assure that this is the case is always recommended.
Boosts individual and team performance
Cloud computing is one of the most effective ways to improve team performance. Using cloud, all the employees can easily share data and work together to complete projects even if they are based in different locations. Staff can share their real time data and updates with their teams in the office, while they are on the field. Additionally cloud computing also helps in eliminating repetitive tasks like data re-entry.
Final Words:
A business can improve their efficiency, increase productivity and save costs by moving their data to cloud computing. To avoid any kind of data loss or manipulation while shifting to a cloud, the best technique is to transfer the operations and data gradually and not all at once.