Understanding the Importance of Cloud Computing in Business
The world of business can be a fast-paced and hyper-competitive environment. As such, startup companies and organizations need to find new ways and tools to keep up with their bigger and more moneyed counterparts, or otherwise find themselves being left in the dust.
Cloud computing is one such tool, and since its inception and adoption in many industries, it has helped these small business outfits manage their limited resources better in order to achieve the growth and prosperity they need.
But is cloud computing truly a silver bullet to a startup’s resource concerns, or is it just another hyped-up business buzzword or jargon meant to confuse newcomers into buying into unnecessary tech? To fully illustrate how important such a tool is, we’ve assembled this list of the concrete benefits of cloud computing a smaller company can reap with this particular tool.
- It reduces the business’ IT costs. Small companies and startups will obviously need to keep a tight rein on their overhead in order to stay financially stable. By storing their business-critical data, applications and processes online – i.e. in the cloud – they forgo having to purchase the in-office equipment and infrastructure required to have those business elements hosted locally. This not only allows them to dedicate their resources on growing and refining their operations but also conserve precious office real estate.
- It increases the business’ scalability. Cloud computing also allows the business to easily and quickly scale up their operation and storage needs without costly and time-consuming upgrades. For example, should the company suddenly need more data storage, they can simply purchase more online storage space from their cloud service provider rather than purchase the necessary storage media for it. The same goes with business work accounts should there be an influx of new employees – new online accounts can be made rather than purchasing an entirely new system dedicated for that account.
- It increases workforce flexibility. Cloud computing allows businesses to be more flexible when it comes to their workforce. By hosting its data and applications online, a business allows its employees to be able to work even if they’re not physically present in the office. This is great for startups that have employees that work from home or in remote locations. All they would need is a secure Internet connection in order to access their virtual office and work.
- It enhances business continuity. A business needs to ensure that their data and their ability to access it are protected at all times, especially during common scenarios where either of the two can be potentially compromised (via natural disasters, building fires, equipment breakdown). By using cloud computing, a business can rest assured that an updated copy of their critical data and applications will always be within easy reach no matter what happens – all they need to do to restore their ability to access it is to have a stable an Internet connection. This minimizes downtime and loss of productivity regardless of how severe the incident is.
- It increases collaboration between employees and stakeholders. By using cloud computing, a business’ employees can quickly and easily share files directly with their coworkers as well as stakeholders regardless of distance or time. This allows for a greater degree of effective collaboration within and without the workforce, in turn making it a more coordinated and well-oiled machine. Storing data in the cloud can also mean greater transparency, as the business’ stakeholders can easily access the data they need from anywhere.
Also read: Bluehost Cloud Sites Review and Siteground Cloud Hosting Review
With all these benefits, any startup that relies on IT for their business operations should definitely look into adopting cloud computing. In doing so they can better maximize their resources and devote them to more pressing needs, rather than investing in costly infrastructure that would only be feasible after significant growth has been achieved.