One of the key areas of business is managing information especially in this world of change. With the growth of Information Technology this has provided an opportunity to accumulate, store and process huge amounts of data to aid in the day to day management of the business.
One of the key areas in data management is called Cloud computing and many businesses are looking at this area for the future development of their IT needs. There are a number of points or areas to consider when looking to invest in Cloud computing for your business.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing provides computer services and applications on the internet and businesses or end users can access these online rather than downloading or installing on a localPC or laptop. As these applications or services are online 24/7 Cloud computing offers a number of benefits that are not available when the software programs are installed directly on a PC or computer.
Cost efficient
For many companies, it can be a struggle to pay for expensive software applications or programs. There may be a limit on how many computers can access a program or service and the time to install and expanding a program to accommodate a large number of users may be expensive. Cloud computing may still have a basic cost in order to access the programs or applications but it may be more affordable than PC installed software applications.
Low Maintenance Costs
A large part of the IT expense a company may incur is based on maintaining an IT system and related application programs. With cloud computing, this is not an issue. The applications are maintained by the Cloud company that created them which means that you do not need to worry about updating and repairing them yourself. This can help your company to substantially reduce the cost of its IT department.
It offers flexibility
Many PC based computer applications or applications which are installed on a computer can be expensive and need to be paid for up front. This can be an issue for many companies especially if they are unsure whether a software package offers them the functionality that they need. In this case, cloud computing can be a definite asset, since it is often possible to pay for these applications on an ongoing pay as you go basis, such as a monthly or per user fee.
Data Access and security
Your key business data is stored on dedicated servers that run these cloud computing services
Your business data will be accessible through any internet ready device from any location.
With dedicated servers come economies of scale and we can securely protect and backup our business data and applications.
You need to keep in mind that cloud computing is not right for every company. If employees do not have access to the internet on an ongoing basis the applications will also be inaccessible. As well, some companies are concerned about the security of the data that is being stored using cloud computing applications.
However, it is definitely something that should be looked at more closely in order to decide whether your company would be able to benefit from it in the future.
