Save time and money while increasing productivity by switching to the cloud. Here are 12 advantages of cloud computing to consider.
Has your business adopted the cloud?
Cloud computing has changed the way we work and manage out IT. With 96% of businesses saving time and money by adopting the cloud, this is a revolution your business shouldn’t be missing out on. But if you are content with your current IT setup, a big change might seem daunting.
Read on for 12 advantages of cloud computing to consider for your business.
- Enable Remote Activities
With the aid of cloud data centers, your business can open up work from home opportunities. Work can go on as usual, with access to cloud storage, and processing power that responds to demand. And there’s guaranteed access to the data stored.
Using a virtual desktop, employees can log in anywhere, on any device. They can pick up at home where they left off in the office. They have access to all the programs they’re used to. This provides a seamless transition from working in the office, to home, or even on the go.
Another plus point is the cloud provides the computing power. So even low-capacity laptops and computers can take on heavier workloads. This also puts to bed most of the capacity and security concerns remote working can bring.
- Efficient Security
A cloud host tracks security at all times. It’s more efficient than regular in-house systems. With those, businesses have to divide efforts between lots of different priorities. You can’t only focus on security.
And while you might not want to consider it, employees are responsible for most internal data breaches. Whether it’s accidental or intentional. It’s safer to keep your sensitive data offsite.
- Better Efficiency in General
The cloud offers businesses savings on their capital expenses. Its utility-style payment set-up makes sure businesses only pay for what they use.
The ability to get resources at the click of your mouse lets you get your products to market quicker. You don’t have to order hardware, wait for delivery, and have it installed.
- Automatic Software Updates
There isn’t anything more frustrating when you’re busy than waiting for system updates. Cloud-based systems refresh and update themselves on an automatic basis.
This is so much easier than the traditional situation of waiting for IT to do a business-wide update. IT staff will save time to divert their focus to other projects. It’ll also save money on bringing in outside IT consultants.
- Ensures Availability
The design of cloud infrastructures is all about high-availability and versatile distribution. Even when you have a high-volume of users all accessing data, providers can keep up with demand.
Cloud infrastructure utilizes many data centers. This allows them to shift workloads as and when they need to keep service flowing. In contrast, VPNs often can’t scale well and will struggle when too many people are using them at once.
- Increased Collaboration
Team collaboration is key to business success, so it’s important your teams can work as a team with ease. Cloud computing makes collaboration simpler.
Teams can share and view information at the click of a button. It’s easy and secure, so they can focus on coming up with great ideas.
Some cloud services will provide social spaces for teams to get together. This increases engagement and interest, as well as making cross-team socialization easy. Collaborating within and across teams has never been easier thanks to cloud systems.
- Scalable and Flexible
Depending on your needs, you can scale cloud systems up or down. For example, you might have a few weeks each year where your demand increases greatly. You can increase your cloud capacity to meet this demand, then lower it again to reduce costs.
Also, the cloud allows for a smoother experience for acquisitions and mergers. Integrating in-house systems is resource and time heavy. Moving to a cloud system removes most of the legwork.
- Helps Cut the Upkeep
Cloud systems almost cut internal IT maintenance. This means you can focus your staff’s energy and time on more valuable projects. This usually translates to big cost savings too.
Usually, IT techs in-house might have to do most of their maintenance in the office. This is inconvenient if maintenance needs doing in work hours.
The cloud allows IT staff to respond online. It also means that any maintenance work can go on outside work hours, without IT staff having to play sleepover in the office.
- Better Sustainability
There’s now more focus on sustainability and the impact businesses have on the planet. It’s not a matter of having a recycling bin system in the office kitchen anymore.
If you want to be truly sustainable, you’ll need to address waste throughout your company. By hosting on the cloud, it leaves less of a carbon footprint and is more sustainable on the environment.
- Improved Quality Control
Poor quality and inconsistencies in reporting are damaging to any business. Using a cloud-based system, all documents use a single format, stored in one place.
Managing information in separate groups and areas can cause accidental overrides of data. More than one employee looking at the same data could save a different version of the documents. This dilutes your data and can cause confusion and inaccurate reporting.
If your staff are accessing the same information on the cloud, you can keep up consistency in your data. It allows for a clear history of any updates or edits and reduces the chance of human error.
- Gives You a Strategic Edge
Cloud systems can give you an edge over your competition. It provides access to the latest, crucial applications you need, without having to pay out and wait for installation.
Your business is free to focus on keeping up with your competition and outsmarting them. You’ll have access to the latest, trending applications at the end of your mouse. You can even combine the best features of public, private and hybrid cloud platforms by working with a multi-cloud provider like Synextra.co.uk.
- Disaster Recovery
An important part of your business’ success is control. But, disaster strikes and you can’t predict or prevent some things. Even with the best disaster plan in place.
When disaster does strike, the cloud can help you speed up how you recover from it. Cloud services are geographically separate from your location. They won’t be affected by a disaster when you are.
They’re also designed with redundancies in place – so one data center going down won’t interrupt service. So, from natural disasters to power outages, so you are safer with cloud computing.
Join The Cloud Computing Revolution
As you can see, cloud computing brings a lot of benefits. The cost and efficiency savings are hard to ignore, and the disaster recovery and remote flexibility round out an amazing package. With cloud computing, your IT team can focus less on reacting to your local IT systems and more on strategic goals.
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