In the past, it was mainly the larger companies that had access and the budget to invest in complex IT infrastructure. However, with the introduction of cloud computing services, small to medium-sized Enterprises are finally able to have access to the same level of IT infrastructure online. Online cloud services give smaller businesses the ability to offer clients the same scope of work that a larger company can offer. Besides this obvious benefit here are a few more advantages to moving from hardware to the cloud.
Ability to upsize and downsize at a moment’s notice
When you move all IT operations to the cloud, your company becomes very elastic when it comes to downscaling or upscaling itself at a moment's notice. Even if the cloud service application begins to increase in user traffic, the cloud servers will not be compromised because the service provider can simply enable more servers for the company to use at a moment's notice. Moving all IT infrastructure to the cloud simply gives your company more flexibility if the situation to upscale or downscale occurs without needing a major revamp of IT infrastructure in the office premises.
Cost-efficient
IT services hosted by a cloud service provider are completely measurable. This way, third-party service providers can accurately quote a service charge/ subscription fee based solely on the services the company needs and uses. There would be no hidden and additional costs and companies can budget themselves accordingly without having to bear unexpected costs. Companies also save up on space in their in-person office as they don’t have to run and maintain the actual IT servers in the company premises.
Heightened Security
When using cloud services from a managed service provider your data on the cloud is protected by the latest cyber security protocols. Since these providers usually host servers for multiple companies, it’s their utmost priority to practice strict cyber security measures in order to protect the data of all the companies they host. One data breach can lead to a cyber attack infecting all the severs leading to multiple businesses losing or having all their data compromised. Also, since IT experts at the managed service provider work with multiple clients they are sure to have more experience working with various IT issues including cyber security ones as supposed to an in house IT expert who only handles a handful of IT issues for one company.
Start work much faster
Similar to our previous point of elasticity, cloud services can also be deployed much faster into a business rather than deploying hardware. Planning and organising the IT infrastructure of servers in office premises take up alot of time and set up. Whereas, subscribing to a cloud service provider allows your company to access the same facilities within an hour or a few days with no planning whatsoever from your side.
Higher accessibility for employees
Another great advantage of moving to the cloud is the increased accessibility and employee collaboration. Employees can access their files and work, anywhere and at any time without having to step foot into the office. They can even work on the same document simultaneously whilst being in a virtual meeting to increase efficiency and communicate better.
All in all, moving your business to the cloud has some serious advantages that become increasingly apparent over time. Not only does it give you the competitive edge over other companies, but it comes with heightened security and even helps you cut costs over time. The fact is, owning your own hardware is simply losing relevance in today’s remote working world so it’s best to move to the cloud before the competition does!
