Let cloud computing fly your business to the sky

You can’t see it but you can access it anywhere and anytime you want. That’s the beauty of cloud computing . With unrivalled flexibility to store, manage and process your data, use its advantages to shore up your business in today’s globalised economy.

One of the greatest advantages of the digital age, especially from a business perspective, is cloud computing. Cloud computing, sometimes referred to as on-demand computing, refers to a system of using a network of remote servers on the internet to store, manage, and process data, instead of having a local server or a personal computer do it.

As experts agree, cloud computing offers a multitude of plus factors, foremost of which is agility. Because it makes it possible for employees to work from any location, they can accomplish their tasks and finish up their to-do list at home, in the office or from the field.

Reduced costs

What this means is cost reduction and workforce optimisation, not to mention efficient time management, and ergo, higher productivity rate.

Cost-reduction because it allows employers to cut down on the number of workstations, even reduce the office size. More importantly, it also does away with spending humongous amounts of money to install software to improve productivity.

Cloud computing drastically reduces the high cost of hardware. Users simply pay as they go and enjoy a subscription-based package. This is so because cloud computing gives businesses the option to access software on the internet as a service and pay based on what suits their budget, noting a package that has specific features, storage capacity, memory space and number of users.

Come to think of it, this “a la carte incremental way of paying,” as experts call it, makes a lot of money sense compared to investing in desktops and laptops because it eliminates expenditures allocated for in-house servers.

Ease

Moreover, compared to installing hardware and downloading software, cloud computing is a breeze – it is all done; no need for the nitty-gritty.

Likewise, the cloud has virtually limitless storage capacity compared to the hard drive, and can adapt if you need more space, which can be available at a minimally higher fee.

Levelling-up

Meantime, for small and medium enterprises, cloud computing means upgrading to enterprise-class operation because it allows them to make decisions on the spot and move more swiftly like their established competitors.

In other words, it levels the playing field in that small businesses can improve efficiency and productivity while at the same time save on cost by gradually shifting operations to cloud computing.

The factories of the future will be filled with sensors, each monitoring different aspects of the working environment. They’ll also feature connected tools, using information ranging from location to accelerometer data to understand where and how they’re being used, to guide workers accordingly. 5G'shigh capacity, wireless flexibility and low-latency performance make it a natural choice to support manufacturers in these environments.

Another advantage of cloud-computing meanwhile is that businesses are freed of the cumbersome requirement to always have a back-up plan especially for data storage purposes. Wonder of wonders, such is not required when storing data on a cloud because it will always be there as long as one has an internet connection.

Data security

Security-wise, cloud computing has it all in spades. Stolen laptops or computers can cause a breach of security, but this can be addressed simply by deleting confidential data or transferring them to another account if you have them on the cloud.

Experts say the risk of security breaches on a cloud is minimal. According to them, proper user management and complex passwords that are routinely changed would suffice to keep hackers at bay.

Besides, most companies providing cloud services have in-house staff – even third party consultants – doing “penetration” tests and eliminate “holes.”

Collaboration

Meantime, another feature of cloud computing that works to your business’ advantage is its ability to enhance collaboration and improve team performance. Because data can easily be accessed anytime from anywhere, the company’s staff can loop in on a single project.

This works best for companies with multiple stations. Taking it a notch higher is that you get better document control on the cloud. Picture this: The more people collaborate and coordinate on a single project from the same data, the higher the risk for all of them ending up with a haywire of conflicting files.

And so, the need for what experts refer to as “watertight document control” that is pretty much what one gets when cloud computing. This is so because all files and documents are stored centrally and there is just one version of the subject at hand available to all.

In short, everybody is on the same page all the time; and what this does is it improves collaboration and in a more streamlined manner.

And finally, to wrap it up, there is also the environment-friendly aspect to all this. Businesses get the numerous advantages of moving up to cloud computing while, at the same time, in so doing they take it easy on the environment.

In what way? Experts explained that when your cloud needs to fluctuate, the server adjust to fit. In other words, energy consumed is just what was needed; ergo, no “oversized carbon footprints” left.