Is moving to the cloud a thing of the future?
Not all that long ago, cloud-based technology was regarded as a thing of the future, but in 2018, the reality is that more and more businesses are moving their systems to the cloud because of the advantages that it offers.
Why? The traditional business IT model consists of in-house data storage and the maintenance costs that come with it; costly upgrades, on-site IT Support, electricity bills and more.
Cut reliance on hardware by moving to the cloud
Using cloud computing services drastically cuts the reliance on hardware as well as a myriad of costs and on-site support requirements that go hand-in-hand with owning your on-premise servers. The cloud model works like a subscription, you simply pay as you go each month, quarter or financial year. This allows you to pay less upfront for hardware providing a model that is more cash-flow friendly.
The cloud eliminates some upfront cost factors and is also a catalyst for business growth. Today’s business environment is so fast paced that every second counts.
If you move your business to the cloud, you can access any of your data or software regardless of your location. This means that you can work on the go and never lose precious time trying to get back to the office to update your systems or check your reports.
Moving to the cloud enables business growth
Because being on the cloud is cheaper, you can also redirect any savings back into the business to stimulate growth. Cloud based software systems are a dime a dozen these days and many offer specialised reporting services that can help you understand how your business is performing.
With real time reporting, you can monitor cashflow, projected costs and adjust your budgeting and forecasting accordingly.
Cloud based services are the perfect choice for businesses which are growing or which experience fluctuations in activity. Using cloud services allows you to scale up or down your activity and save money as a result.
Moving to the cloud gives access to much better technology. It helps smaller businesses to act faster than big, established competitors. Because they are on a pay-as-you-go service, smaller outfits can take on big business and disrupt the market, while remaining lean and nimble.
Cloud-based solutions for business are also scalable. Instead of having to fork out on expensive hardware and software as the business grows, if you are on the cloud, you can simply upgrade your subscription and receive added products and services.
Most cloud-based applications offer standard packages that are suited to start-ups, small and medium sized businesses, growing businesses and established corporate companies.
Disaster recovery advantages of the cloud
In addition, many of them will tailor packages that are directly suited to your needs, which can up-level your competitiveness. Another benefit of moving to the cloud is the security of your data in the event of a disaster.
Cloud services will back up your data and can restore it if anything goes wrong. It is also cost effective and eliminates expensive storage servers and IT experts allowing you to concentrate on growing your business.