What Your Business Needs to Know About Cloud Computing

what your business needs to know about the cloudThese days everyone seems to be buzzing about cloud computing. But what is it exactly?

The reason why so many businesses are moving to “the cloud” is that it eliminates the need for traditional software and hardware models and instead allows users to access these applications through the Internet. This can be extremely advantageous to your business because there is no need to hire a team of experts to install, configure, run, maintain, secure, and regularly update such software and hardware. Instead, with the cloud, you can outsource the headaches that frequently come along with managing hardware and software!

Because cloud computing allows for centralized storage and online access to computer services, your organization’s employees can easily access necessary applications remotely, helping to boost efficiency and productivity. The services offered through the cloud can be individually configured for your business, which allows your company to focus on growing and producing results versus maintaining infrastructure.

Even if you are not very familiar with cloud computing, you are likely already embracing this technology in your everyday life without even knowing it. One great example of this is through Google search. If you’re like most consumers, you refer to a search engine like Google to research products and services online before making a purchase. When you type words into the search query, the answers you receive are probably not coming from your computer itself. Instead, they are sent off to Google’s hundreds of thousands of clustered PCs that instantly retrieve these answers for you. The responses you receive within seconds could be coming from China, India, California, or some other remote location.

Another way that you have likely used the cloud in your personal or professional life is through email. While you used to have to install software to your computer to send and receive emails (Microsoft Outlook or IBM Lotus Notes, for example), you can now take advantage of a web-based email service like Gmail or Yahoo Mail to communicate. Web-based email uses cloud technology to allow users to access email from remote locations and offers an enormous amount of storage.

Other popular cloud services and applications that businesses of all sizes are embracing include Salesforce, DropBox, Office 365, Cisco WebEx, and Survey Monkey.

To learn more about how we can help your business boost efficiency and productivity, contact us for a no obligation IT Technology Risk assessment.