Running a business IT department has become easier than ever. Thanks to cloud computing and all of the great benefits born from internet-based technology, you can manage almost every major service without spending a ton of money on physical hardware.
Software as a Service (SaaS) was just the start, and there are old and new techniques boosted by cloud computing that can help you today. Here are a 3 reasons that cloud technology is ideal for small businesses from a growth and efficiency perspective.
1. Improved Data Backup And Recovery
How does your business backup its data? Do you have a series of external drives, or maybe spare drives inside your server? Are your backups automatic, or do you manually save vital information when you remember?
Whether you want daily full backups, incremental backups throughout the month, or a differential backup schedule, it can all be done on the cloud. By using a cloud-based backup service, you can schedule any type of backup in a safe, remote location on your own or with the help of a professional.
The remote location is one of the biggest benefits of backup planning. Disaster recovery and business survival are at its best when you have a backup nowhere near your physical location.
Why? If a natural disaster happens, your data won’t be totally lost in the disaster. Even if a wide-scale disaster happens, there’s still some distance and a better chance that multiple copies of your data are safe.
2. Web Hosting With Fewer Worries
Does your business have a website? Is it used for customers, employee access while abroad, or a bit of both?
No matter the reason for your website, don’t host it inside your business. You’re wasting valuable business internet bandwidth, and if your business grows to the point that you can’t function without a website, you’ll need to transform your business into a tech service to justify the cost of the website–or make enough money to justify staffing, training, and retaining an internal web server team.
Instead, cloud computing has you covered. You’re saving money and effort by using someone else’s hardware resource. Just as importantly, the hardware is being maintained by a team that is dedicated to cloud computing as a business model rather. That’s better than spending your own business resources on either a dedicated staff member or taking one of your busy professionals away from a vital project.
3. Virtualization For Flexible Workstations
Does your business need to buy multiple, high-powered workstations? Do you need to have a full installation of office software, basic business files, or other data that takes critical time to configure for every computer?
These days? Not really.
Virtualization has made it easier to run an operating system (OS) within an operating system. People can run Linux inside of Windows, Windows inside of Linux, Mac inside of Windows, and many other configurations. Today, you can run any system on a server and use it across the internet.
Cloud computing and managed IT services come together to deliver standard use, pre-configured virtual workstations that your team can use on the go. Cloud computing has come a long way and can deliver a lot of amazing results with custom planning. You can find several ways to work with files across networks, and it’s easier to experiment with someone else’s resources since you’re free from hardware maintenance responsibility.
