The word “cloud” may have bounced in and out of conversations at your office, but you’re still not 100% sure it’s for you. You’re waiting for some sort of sign that it’s worth your time. Luckily, we have eight. If any of these sound like your business, it might be time to invest in the cloud.
You’re looking to upgrade your software.
With cloud software, the upgrades are automatic. You don’t need to repurchase the latest version every time you want to update. You pay for your business applications on a subscription basis – think of how you’d pay for a magazine – and updates are included! And when you want to add new software, you don’t need one of your IT guys running around installing it on every single device. Instead, it’s accessible through the cloud and can be ready to go in minutes, rather than hours or days. And if you realize you don’t need a certain application anymore, you can simply cancel the subscription and be left with no waste!
You’re in need of a hardware refresh.
In the cloud, the hardware becomes the provider’s job. When you want to be working on state-of-the-art hardware, but just don’t have the bucks to spend, cloud computing is the answer. You’re not the one who invests in and maintains the hardware – the provider is! You simply get the benefit of real-time, flexible storage and modern equipment that you don’t have to manage yourself. This frees up both time and money.
You want a data backup plan.
The cloud is able to protect data both virtually and physically, with a dedicated team in place that’s available around the clock. Despite some concerns about cloud security, it has proven itself over and over in recent years. Cloud providers are paid to keep client data safe. Support and backup become their primary focus, when it couldn’t always be yours. With the cloud, businesses avoid losing data in accidents. Redundant, geographically diverse data centers keep data up and running no matter what. It’s the best backup plan, protecting a business even if its primary location or one of the data centers is damaged.
You’re looking to cut down on CapEx.
Then you’re looking in the right place. Cloud moves much of CapEx to OpEx, thanks to the pay-as-you-go model. Businesses end up paying for what they need, as they need it, rather than spending a lot upfront for resources they might not even end up using. With the cloud, many costs shift to the provider, including costs of infrastructure and maintenance, so it’s easier for organizations to decrease spending.
You want your employees to have greater flexibility.
They should have immense flexibility, especially in today’s modern, mobile business world. The cloud provides employees with anytime, anywhere access to company data and apps, on any device. This includes laptops, smartphones and tablets. The user simply connects to the company workspace using their login, and they’re good to go. When employees can work remotely, opportunities open up for a business. It’s easier to expand geographically, that’s for sure. Users have an easier time computing, connecting and responding with this flexibility too. The cloud creates seamless access across multiple devices, which employees and businesses will certainly appreciate.
You’re interested in implementing BYOD.
BYOD not only adds flexibility, but it can cut down on costs. The “Bring Your Own Device” trend puts the responsibility into the employees hands. Rather than a business purchasing devices and updating them regularly, it’s up to the users. This can be empowering, as employees can use devices they’re comfortable with, and know that they have a choice in how they work.
You want to focus your IT resources in new or different areas.
IT was traditionally more of a maintenance role, but with the cloud, many of those responsibilities move to the provider. Instead, IT personnel can transition into leaders and strategists, leading your business towards innovation. They can focus more on ever-changing technology, delivering business value, focusing on growth and the competitive landscape, identifying problems and solutions, and choosing which new tools to implement.
You’re rapidly growing.
Scalability is a key benefit of the cloud. It’s always one of the first things you hear about, and that’s because it accommodates ever-changing business demands. If your business is rapidly growing, it gets really expensive and complicated to continue updating resources. With the cloud, when you need more resources, you get them instantly. There’s virtually unlimited space in the cloud, making it easy to get more when you need it, and then scale back down again as things calm down.
Don’t let hesitation stand in the way of improving your business with the cloud. If any of the above signs sounded familiar, you’re probably a good fit for the cloud. So what’s the next step? Finding the right cloud. Read “How to Find the Right Cloud” for four tips from RapidScale.
