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Less than a decade ago, cloud computing was nothing more than a mere buzzword. Fast forward to today, and it’s pretty much a given that everyone is using it, from personal users to large enterprises. It’s unimaginable to run a business nowadays without relying on some sort of cloud service or platform, whether you are transitioning your employees to remote work, or because you like the idea of not having to bother installing the same piece of software on dozens or more computers. By all accounts, benefits of cloud computing to your business are huge, and cloud computing is only set to grow in the future.
According to stats, 90% of companies are on the cloud, which means safe to say that the cloud is now mainstream. In fact, pretty much every company out there that is looking to protect its data or upscale its operation will rely on one or more of the available cloud services. But, the list of advantages that the cloud can provide for your business doesn’t end there. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 7 benefits of cloud computing for business.
1. Lower Costs
One of the main concerns all businesses have with switching to cloud computing is the cost of the entire migration. However, once you get past that initial investment, you will find soon enough that there are other factors which come into play besides the upfront costs.
First of all, you get easier access to all of the services that you need, as well as your data. This streamlined process will save you money in itself. And if you don’t want to pay for features and services that you don’t need, cloud computing allows you to stick with the pay-as-you-go model, where you get exactly what you paid for.
Need a certain amount of cloud storage for your employees or for your clients? Simply buy as much as you need, and that’s it. Before cloud computing, businesses were wasting tons of money every year by paying for benefits and services they never really took advantage of. Sure, they were available to them if they needed them, but it was the equivalent of throwing money down the drain. In the long run, cloud computing will end up costing your company less, as well as allow you to grow and scale your business if needed with ease.
2. Better Data Security
According to the numbers, Amazon Web Services is the largest cloud computing vendor with 32% of the market share. And they got there by offering its clients, among other things, better data security.
Data breaches and cybersecurity threats are inevitable nowadays, and if your business isn’t safeguarding its data, they can not only lead to data being stolen, but to loss of clients and reputation in the industry as well. In other words, they can end your company, whether you own a writing service where students can buy customer essay papers, or an eCommerce business. Fortunately, most cloud vendors, including Amazon Web Services, can provide your business with advanced security features and measures that will keep your data, as well as your reputation, safe.
Of course, that still doesn't mean that you stop adhering to best cybersecurity practices, such as having a firewall, using strong passwords, and educating your employees about the possible dangers of data breaches. Still, cloud computing companies will implement some of the measures for you, such as various types of authentication and encryption. In other words, you will be able to protect your data from hackers, malware, as well as internal attacks and theft. And if you are looking for an even greater degree of control and safety, you can always make use of the VPN features offered by your cloud vendor.
3. Work Flexibility
Businesses rely on remote working nowadays more than ever, especially with the pandemic not being over yet. Cloud computing is the obvious solution here, since your employees can perform their tasks, access their files, applications, and services that they need, all from the comfort of their own home.
Not to mention being able to wear pajamas on a work day. Apart from safety in these troubled times, cloud services also enable businesses to cut down on their costs regarding office space. Since not everyone is coming into the office, companies can rent smaller spaces, or even reduce their expenditures for computer equipment by implementing practices such as hot desking.
Apart from having different employees using the same workstation at different times, you can also enable your employees to access the cloud data and services via their own devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Of course, provided that they follow all the cybersecurity protocols required by the company. Another way in which cloud computing helps is by shouldering some of the burden when it comes to issues like data storage and installation of software. You no longer have to worry about that as much, which leaves you more time to deal with what really matters: your bottom line.
4. Improved Collaboration
Unless you are a solopreneur, you probably have two or more employees, which begs the question of collaboration. This becomes an even bigger issue if you have multiple teams in your company which need to exchange information, updates, custom papers, and files on a daily basis, or if you need to coordinate between remote teams.
With cloud computing, collaboration is a very simple and streamlined process, because team members can share files in a matter of seconds, set different access permissions, and work on the same documents simultaneously, which speeds up production. Of course, this sort of collaboration might still be possible without the cloud, but it requires multiple tools and applications, and it would be much less efficient.
And if you think that a social component is important for the morale of your employees, you can also look into cloud services which offer collaborative social spaces and improve work engagement that way. Also, cloud computing can be a valuable tool if you need to share your files, records, and tax information with external collaborators, such as accountants and legal advisers. Even if all of your employees are at the office at the same time, this approach will still improve productivity and efficiency.
5. Great Mobility
With the benefits of cloud computing, you and your employees can access the work files, as well as corporate information, using your mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This is crucial, because there are over 2.87 billion smartphone users in 2020, and the number is still growing.
A big percentage of that number are business users who use their mobile devices to check their email, calendar, scheduled meetings, and important updates from their collaborators inside the company.
When you migrate your company to the cloud, you can make sure that everybody is in the loop at all times, regardless of their device and current geographic location.
Also, if your company has a sales representative who spends a lot of time on the road or goes to meet the clients in person, you can use the different benefits of cloud computing to provide them with the latest updates regarding your service or product. For example, if you are demoing the latest feature on your application , your sales person will be informed, and they can offer that feature to the client. Also, there are plenty of other applications for this. If you are constantly outsourcing some of your work and hiring freelancers on a regular basis, then you're going to want to include them as well. There are no downsides to this.
6. Easy Data Recovery
We have already mentioned that every company needs to worry about protecting its data, because it can easily fall prey to hackers. But, even if you have done your best, since there is no cybersecurity method which is foolproof, you can still suffer a data security breach. The best course of action would be to backup and safely store copies of your most important data and files, which can be pretty expensive if you are running a small business. On top of that, it can take a while before all of your systems are up and running again, which can cause you to lose clients.
However, when you decide to store your data in the cloud, you can rest assured that all of your data will be available momentarily, regardless of the data breach magnitude. Even if your computer equipment has suffered actual physical damage, you will still be able to recover your data if it’s in the cloud. Even if you have an on-site server which stores copies of your data, you can still benefit from the cloud, since there is no way it can get damaged. The only thing you really need to recover your data is a stable internet connection. You will be up and running in no time, no matter what happens. Your clients won’t even notice that something had happened.
7. More Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly
If your company is conscious about the environment, cloud computing might be a crucial piece of the puzzle that would enable it to lower its carbon footprint. How so? Well, for starters, you will no longer need to have your own data center with physical rooms that need to be lit and air conditioned, and servers that need constant cooling. That will significantly cut down on your carbon emissions as a company. Then there is the fact that you can easily upscale your business without a significant environmental impact, since your company doesn’t need to grow physically.
Also, there is something to be said about less paper waste when all of your documents and files are in the cloud, where they only take up virtual space. Finally, if most of your employees are working from home, that means they won’t be driving to work, and if your company is large, that means that the commuter-related emissions will be cut down significantly. Basically, the only thing your employees need in order to get to the office is an internet connection and nothing more. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, but it makes for a better-work life balance, since your employees will spend zero time stuck in traffic on their way to and from work.
Using Cloud Computing for Business: Is It Worth It?
In case you were reluctant about switching to the cloud, or if you were just starting to explore the benefits of cloud computing, we hope that this article has helped you shed some light on the matter. The key to discovering if cloud computing is the right route for your business is to test it out gradually. Start with using a small portion of your business as a testing phase to see if moving to the cloud is something your business can benefit from in the long run. So many businesses are swearing by this strategy, so don't miss out and start implementing these tips today. Good luck!
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