As the business-to-business economy rebounds, we note the surge in corporate purchases of software and technology hardware. Leading the way, laptop sales and software to enable remote work. It is time to consider the five reasons to move your business to the cloud.
The 26-page report, "Cloud Adoption in 2020," found that even before the pandemic began, 88% percent of organizations were using cloud infrastructure in some form, while 45% reported that they expect to move 75% or more of their applications to the cloud over the next year. But that was then when things were looking very different back in January. For the rest of the year, those numbers could likely see even greater growth due to the coronavirus, said Mary Treseler, O'Reilly's vice president of content strategy, who oversaw the study.—TechRepublic.com
Have you been considering moving your business to a cloud infrastructure? Perhaps, you were considering moving in early 2020, and the COVID-19 crisis pushed your workforce to a remote solution. There are many reasons to consider a cloud infrastructure, but we have narrowed the list down to five reasons to move your business to the cloud.
Cloud infrastructure provides data security
How secure is your company data on the cloud?
We often receive this question, and the answer depends on the cloud infrastructure implemented. Cloud services can be public, private or hybrid. It is essential to assess if the solution contains any or all of these elements, to ensure a robust security plan:
- Advanced Firewalls
- Intrusion Detection
- Event Logging
- Encryption
A cloud solution is both flexible and scalable. Still, we suggest that you add an extra layer of security through employee training. At MainSpring, we say that the first line of defense is a human firewall.
Whether your company data resides at your office or in the cloud, review the MainSpring ASAP Program—Automated Security Awareness Program. With the four above cloud security protocols, you can expect your data to be as secure, if not more secure, as it is stored on your own site.
The cloud provides business flexibility
As business struggles to get back to a new normal, all can use a flexible plan. Cloud infrastructure provides the flexibility to promote growth while moving to a remote workforce.
An example of cloud computing's flexibility is that remote employees can access files and collaborate with co-workers from multiple devices. You can deploy a mixed solution of web-enabled devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets to your workforce. Employees can use mobile hardware that fits their needs and workstyle.
The ability to access files and to collaborate travels with the employee as they work. One day, they may work in an office environment and then switch to their home office. Or employees can complete field assignments with the use of a web-enabled tablet.
The scalable cloud grows with your business
There is no doubt that business has changed. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis has been felt worldwide. Most companies and even education facilities have had to pivot.
As you improve your operational business plan, you may find yourself either reducing staff or even onboarding large groups of new employees. Cloud infrastructure is quickly and easily scalable.
(Or imagine onboarding a new class of students to your school or university infrastructure.)
Upscale or downscale your IT requirements while staying within your yearly budget. Depending on your cloud provider, your IT staff can assist your HR department to onboard a new employee from a web-based console. The software can be provisioned only when needed and to the employees that need it.
A cloud solution improves collaboration
Recently, we published a blog, Securing Communication Channels. As business segments struggle with the impact of COVID-19, resulting problems have become evident.
One is a decrease in team collaboration and communication. Often the best ideas flow from a team brainstorming session or shared information. Email no longer cuts as a collaboration tool.
A cloud solution provides the template for group collaboration. Files can be shared, updated and edited. Group calls can be recorded and securely stored. The cloud offers real-time team communication.
Reduce your costs with a cloud solution
As you read through the first four reasons to move your business to the cloud, you probably noted a few examples of ways to cut your IT costs.
A cloud solution brings a reduced cost in both hardware and software. Capacity will scale only as your business grows. Businesses, of any type, immediately note a decrease in capital costs. Savings go across all market segments and business size with cloud cost optimization.
As you decrease your capital infrastructure cost, your IT team is left with time and assets to tackle new projects. Perhaps, they can shift their attention to a plan to give your business the next competitive edge.
Moving into a new business environment
As your business moves forward, there is no doubt that your operational plan will change. The MainSpring team is on standby to offer IT strategy and support. Our dedicated team has been providing IT solutions to the greater Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia metro area since 1993.
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