To be, or not to be? This is the question on the minds of many business owners. For these individuals, cloud computing means that they would be able to access their data regardless of location, device or time. Cloud computing whether SaaS, IaaS or PaaS is rapidly becoming the norm as it affords businesses greater flexibility and security. If you are considering switching to cloud computing for your business, you are not alone and the following checklist will help you determine if now is a good time.
Looking for affordable solution? – Perhaps the biggest reason to switch over to cloud computing is the cost savings associated with it. Most cloud service providers offer a pay as you use plan which essentially means that you only end up paying for only the service you use. And even if you opt for the monthly or yearly payment, it still offers an affordable alternative to on-site servers. Cloud computing is charged based on the number of features you want, so you can choose a package that suits your budget.
Need flexibility – If you need a service that gives you or your employee the advantage of working from any location, then cloud computing is what you need. Today’s workplace culture has gotten mobile. With your laptop, phone or device, you can work from practically anywhere you want. Because there is no onsite server, you don’t have to work from an office if you choose not to. You can also allow your employees to work from home, thereby saving your company some employee expenses.
More reliable – if you’ve ever had a server crash, then you will understand how harmful it can be to your business. All your hard work, gone in a blink. If this happens to often, you will find your business losing customers and employees. A cloud service however, makes it possible for you to have access to your files anytime you want them. Cloud service providers have built in backups programmed to come online in the event of a server issue. This means that you always have access to your data regardless.
Scalable – Like many other business, you server requirements may be tied to quirks of your business. This means that you may need to increase or reduce your server needs based on the size of your business. One of the major advantages of cloud computing is that you can easily scale up or down according to the real time demands of your business. As your business grows, more resources can be added to your infrastructure. The same thing applies if you need to cut down on the size of your setup.
More security – Cloud computing offers a higher level of security compared to onsite solutions that are vulnerable to a lot of dangers. If you are looking for a solution to cyber security, then you should definitely go for cloud computing. Cloud computing provides security features such as data encryption, strong passwords and routine backups. These seemingly little things will keep your business information safe and reduce the risk of security breach that could cost you huge sums of money and potential loss of customers and revenue.