November 9, 2022
in
computing services ,
IT Support
News by Daniel Shone
You may well have heard of ‘the cloud’, but fully understanding what it is can at first be a bit tricky! More often than not, organisations can get left behind, given the speed at which IT infrastructure develops. We have created the blog below, designed to answer some of the questions that you may have…
Should you move to the cloud?
To be frank, it is probably more a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ your organisation will move to the cloud.
At first look though, the cloud and what it offers can appear daunting and confusing, but there are actually various benefits for when you do move across to the cloud…
The cloud is designed for maximum data security, thanks to high levels of encryption. While this higher level of security does not mean that you will not experience difficulties, implementing the right security solutions will help keep most risks and threats at bay. Furthermore, many cloud hosting providers will continually monitor and update security features to keep your data secure without you having to do anything! Moving to the cloud is much more cost effective than having ‘on-premise’ servers, as you only need to pay for the storage that you actually use. Additionally, using cloud technologies, employees can collaborate and communicate in real-time with colleagues across platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, no matter where they are located, leading to greater levels of productivity.
Great, but this sounds a bit pricey…
Migrating to the cloud might look expensive, but it is actually very cost-effective, as you will not have to bear the costs of maintaining and replacing your on-premise servers. Instead, all these responsibilities will be with your hosting provider, who incur the hardware and facility costs while you only pay for the computing power you use. Not only will this help cut your operational expenses, but it will also reduce the burden on your IT team.
But what if I need to access documents quickly?
You can easily access data and resources in the cloud from any location, at any time. The cloud also makes it easier to have all your applications and resources ‘under one roof’, which helps simplify operations, saves you time, and speeds-up decision-making.
How flexible can we be?
With a cloud-based server, you will have the flexibility of paying for what you need, eliminating the need to keep paying for redundant resources as you can scale and downgrade your capacity requirements if necessary. Money saved is as good as money earnt as they say, and with cloud storage, you can both upscale and downscale to suit business growth needs, leading to a smarter and stronger IT infrastructure.
Furthermore, cloud migration has proven efficiencies in reducing data loss risk, aided by strict data security protocols and compliance regulations. You are also safer in an emergency as the cloud protects your data and resources, which is beneficial for operational continuity.
Does the cloud really increase productivity though?
One major benefit of the cloud is mobility and in turn flexibility and productivity. Cloud services give your team the ability to work from any location and any device, accessing data, emails, calendars and more. This can even mean that employers can appoint new team members that may not even be in the same geographic area.
Furthermore, Azure Cloud makes the adoption of other Microsoft Solutions, such as Power BI/Power Platforms so much easier - meaning a greater ability to get more out of the data you already have, increasing your "Time to Market" capability, and make improved business decisions with better data effectiveness.
Sounds simple enough, so if you would like some further information on cloud-based hosting, please get in touch with us for a free IT review!
