Today, it’s common to hear someone say that their movies, music, file storage and everything else is “in the cloud.” But what really is “the cloud”? Your data is not floating in midair like it may sound, but rather it is readily available with minimal management required.
The concept of “the cloud” goes back to the 1960s. The phrase originates from a cloud symbol used in flow charts and diagrams to symbolize the internet. In reality, though, your data isn’t floating in space or in the airways; it’s actually being stored in a physical data center.
Large, iconic corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft, thrive off of the benefits of the cloud. Here are a few reasons why the cloud can also be a key to your organization’s success.
1. You Always Have Access to Your Information
There are serious on-demand capabilities that you can take advantage of with the cloud. If you store your data in the cloud, it is readily available from just about anywhere, anytime. For a business, this data can include a dashboard of recent expense reports or productivity reports for your employees. Having access to this information at all times will aid you in making smarter, faster decisions on the go.
2. You Don’t Have to Buy and Maintain Expensive Infrastructure
You don’t have to buy, and inevitably repair, the equipment. Purchasing the infrastructure needed to keep your data and software can be costly and the equipment needs to be constantly updated. With the cloud, you can avoid purchasing expensive equipment to house your own hosting infrastructure. You can also avoid the cost of a high speed internet line for data and the expensive electric bill that comes with keeping your servers online. If your company is just starting out, the price tag on an on-premise set up will likely be too big.
3. Your Data is Backed Up and Prepared for Catastrophe
Since your company information is in a data center somewhere in the world, you can trust that it will be safe from catastrophe. Data centers are equipped to have multiple components, like hard drives, power supplies and Ethernet cards, to ensure that the servers are always running at high performance. Then to top that off they usually have immediate standby power generators and redundant internet service providers, switching and routing, and more (terms and conditions do apply, check the providers Service Level Agreement for what they guarantee).
It’s unlikely that your data will be hacked in the cloud. If your data is compromised, it’s most likely due to weak passwords or malicious applications on your device that collect your information and report it to someone else (a.k.a. malware). You can combat this by training your employees on what they should and shouldn’t be doing when using company technology.
How Do You Start Using the Cloud for Your Business?
We have helped many clients move their data to the cloud by taking on-premise email servers and bringing them onto Microsoft 365, a premier cloud email provider. Additionally, we can help you use a cloud computing platform such as Microsoft Azure, which enables all your data to be easily accessible through the cloud.
Need Help?
The cloud is powerful and affordable with a variety of options for every client. To find out more, or to see if moving your business to the cloud is right for you, contact us here or call Josh Beitler at 443.604.3617.
