What’s all the rave about cloud computing? As popular as this technology has become, in some business circles, the cloud is still some kind of a mystery. How can a business operate without the traditional server on-site? Is it even possible to run a business without the traditional data center managed by the in-house IT? Yes, it is. Businesses that are quick to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud are reporting increased productivity, fewer IT problems and decreased overhead.
What are the Advantages of Migrating to the Cloud
The cloud is similar to an in-house datacenter that businesses own for years. The difference is that it is offsite and can be accessed through a high-speed data connection and is often times, heavily encrypted. This ensures that a computer cloud backup is done securely and at break-neck-speed. You can have your entire database migrated to the cloud and do away with maintaining an in-house datacenter. But what are the advantages of doing this?
- Cut Down on IT costs
By moving your datacenter to the cloud, you greatly reduce your IT system costs. Instead of buying expensive equipment, you can leverage the resources of your cloud computing provider. Often, the cost of upgrade on hardware and software is included in the contract. This means you can reduce the number of expert IT staff in your company. This also means that you can reduce the energy cost for your business.
- More scalable and flexible
Since you don’t own the infrastructure, you can just rent what you need. This allows for greater flexibility as your business grows. Instead of buying and installing the infrastructure on your own, your service provided can do it for you. This frees up your time allowing you to focus on running your business.
- Data security
Protecting your data ensures that your business continues. This is important for future business plans. If a natural disaster or a power failure can heavily disrupt your business because your data is not properly backed up, your business suffers. The cloud ensures that your data is in a secure, remote location ensuring that you can access it quickly and minimize downtime.
- Improved work practices
Collaboration is easy with the cloud. Even if your workmates are on the other side of the globe, you can easily collaborate with a well-placed cloud infrastructure. This means that you have access to your data even when you’re on vacation or on a commute on the way to the office.
- Automatic updates
In this day and age of malware and viruses, you need to have access to automatic updates even when you’re not aware of it. Cloud service providers often give automatic updates on both software and hardware ensuring that you are using the latest technology. If you house the datacenter on your own, it would mean paying a huge sum of money out of pocket.
So, is it time to consider moving your IT infrastructure to the cloud? The answer is really up to you. But the advantages that the cloud has to offer are hard to ignore. With the ease it affords, you can focus more of your time on running other aspects of your business.
