5 signs to consider if your business is ready for the cloud
Although cloud computing has been around for several decades, its popularity has exploded over recent years. This trend is expected to continue, with technology giant Cisco predicting that cloud data centers will process 94% of all workloads by 2021. But how do you know your business is ready? Here are five signs you should consider moving to the cloud:
1. You need more storage
If youāre almost out of storage on your current server, now is a great time to consider investing in cloud storage. While you could choose to upgrade your existing servers or add new ones, the cloud is an appealing alternative. This appeal is due to the cloudās storage capacity, which is unlimited and flexible. You only need to pay for what you need and, if you need to scale you can upgrade any time.
Conversely, projects to upgrade your in-house servers are expensive and require future-proofing to ensure your capacity meets future demand. This contrast makes cloud solutions a logical choice for growing organizations.
2. You want to support employees to work remotely
Remote working is increasing in popularity. For most modern businesses, the ability for employees to work from anywhere is an essential operational consideration. According to a recent Owl Labs report, 62% of full-time employees in the US work from home at least occasionally.
If you want to support your employees to work remotely, cloud services can facilitate this, enabling your team to blend office and remote work seamlessly. When you store your data in the cloud, employees can access their files from anywhere ā preserving productivity without compromising security.
3. Sharing files is difficult
Traditional file sharing methods are a bugbear for many organizations. At best, these methods are inefficient ā but they can also compromise security, such as by using unauthorized online methods for sharing files outside the organization.
Cloud-based file sharing addresses these issues, helping your employees work collaboratively and efficiently. As all relevant stakeholders can access the same version of documents held in the cloud, you reduce the risk of multiple versions of the same material. This detail ensures a streamlined approach, reducing the likelihood of errors made due to the duplication of effort or the circulation of outdated files.
4. Youāre on a tight budget
Cloud services are also a cost-effective and affordable solution for organizations on a tight budget. If you canāt afford to pay for a new server in-house, you can pay for exactly what you need from a cloud services provider instead, negating the need for expensive infrastructure projects.
Unlike in-house solutions, you never have to pay for technology youāre not using, nor do you incur unexpected costs to maintain or repair your servers. Instead, you pay a pre-determined subscription fee, keeping your costs predictable and manageable as your business grows. And, as mentioned, you can scale up your subscription as the organization expands, ensuring you always have what you need.
5. Your organization uses multiple applications
If you have a complex application infrastructure, donāt let that put you off moving to the cloud. Operating with multiple applications in the cloud is not just achievable ā itās recommended.
Cloud applications are hosted, as the name suggests, in the cloud. Your employees interact with the app in the same way as usual, through a client-facing user interface, but a cloud services provider manages the processing infrastructure. Moving applications to the cloud comes with many benefits. Aside from being a cost-effective solution, it improves the reliability of your applications ā your cloud services provider likely has greater resources than you have available in-house.
There are many excellent reasons to consider moving to the cloud, with the five presented in this article among the most popular. If you need more information about how this relates to your organization,Ā reach out to us.
