Whether you are a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or just someone who needs to store data on the Internet somewhere for safekeeping, cloud computing is likely going to be beneficial for you. Cloud computing provides many benefits that will help your business grow and thrive. This article will discuss 9 of those benefits so that you can see how well it suits your needs.
- Cloud Computing is Flexible
Cloud computing offers a variety of plans with different features that are flexible enough to suit your needs. These include monthly, yearly, and pay-per-use pricing strategies which allow you to only pay for what you need when you need it without committing to long-term contracts or paying more than necessary. You can also try different services until you find the one that works best for your business.
2: It Can Save a Significant Amount of Money
Cloud computing is often a more affordable option for small- and medium-sized businesses. Not only does it reduce the need for buying expensive hardware that you may or may not end up needing, it can also cut down on redundancy issues.
Cloud computing can also get rid of the need for expensive software licenses, which are often used by businesses with hundreds if not thousands of employees. Smaller companies with fewer employees can end up paying those high costs meant for large corporations without receiving any of the benefits. Cloud computing, on the other hand, allows you to license only what you actually need.
3: It Reduces Waste
With cloud computing you only pay for what you use, so there is no wasted investment in unnecessary features that you might not need right away. The cloud gives you the power to scale your investment up or down with minimal downtime.
4: It Reduces the Need for IT Staff
Cloud computing can save time, as installing and configuring these products yourself could take hours that could be better spent doing other tasks to grow your business. Hiring a dedicated IT team costs more than many small businesses can afford, and cloud computing mostly removes this need. Your service provider will have a dedicated team of experts that can be contacted whenever you need assistance.
Look for a cloud service that offers 24/7 IT service in the event that your systems go down overnight. This means less reliance on in-house staff members, who are limited in when they can be in the office.
5: Maintenance is Easier
When it comes to cloud computing, one of the greatest benefits is that you have less to worry about with maintenance. Running expensive hardware can end up costing more money than you paid for it over enough time. Having everything hosted in the cloud means that you can outsource most of your maintenance to your cloud service provider.
6: Easier Storage
With on-premise solutions, there is a great deal of expense in storing hardware when it’s not being used. With the cloud, you can rent space from a company that uses its own data centers, freeing up office space for the things you truly need. It also eliminates the need for on-site security to guard expensive hardware systems that take up space.
7: Lower Insurance Costs
Insuring hardware can be a major business expense, so cloud computing could save you a significant amount of money in this department as well. It can be much cheaper to insure data in the cloud, since you don’t have physical hardware to account for, so you could save on premiums and deductibles. This is especially important for businesses in areas with a high risk of theft, flooding, fires, or other threats.
8: Improved Quality Control
Cloud computing also offers the benefit of increased quality control, since every aspect of your business’ digital infrastructure is managed by the cloud company you are working with. You don’t have to worry about updates or patches being applied incorrectly, which could result in network downtime and data loss.
9: Security
Perhaps the greatest and most obvious benefit of cloud computing for business is the opportunity to enhance your security as an organization. Cloud computing is widely regarded as a more secure option. According to RapidScale, approximately 94 percent of business owners reported that cloud computing had improved their overall security.
With these nine benefits, it is easy to see how cloud computing could be the next vital step for your business. With cloud computing, you can take advantage of a cost-effective solution that is flexible and scalable. Cloud technology allows for innovation in your business while improving the security of all its assets.
References:
slideshare.net/rapidscale/cloud-computing-stats-security-and-recovery
