Cloud computing has revolutionized the way modern businesses operate and communicate. It has opened up numerous opportunities to increase agility, cut costs, and enable fast and efficient collaboration. By taking advantage of cloud computing solutions, organizations of all shapes and sizes can reap the benefits of faster, more secure, and cost-effective computing. This article will look at some of the main advantages of cloud computing.
Security
Many organizations worry about the security of adopting a cloud-based solution. However, cloud hosting companies are devoted to maintaining security and are typically much more effective than a conventional in-house system. 94% of businesses have noted an improvement in their security after switching to the cloud, with 91% finding it simpler to meet government compliance standards. Data encryption is used for networks and databases, and users can have different security settings. Additionally, 20% of cloud users have a disaster recovery time of four hours or less, compared to only 9% of those using in-house systems.
Cost Savings
Organizations that are considering the pros and cons of using cloud services must think beyond the initial cost of implementation when making their decision. With the cloud, businesses can save money on project startup costs and can opt to pay only for the features they utilize. Additionally, they can purchase only the data storage they need, as opposed to paying for unused space. As a result, the cost of cloud computing is often lower, and the returns are usually higher. According to Bitglass, nearly half of CIOs and IT leaders reported cost savings when they switched to cloud-based applications in 2015.
Flexibility
Moving to a cloud environment can offer businesses increased flexibility and the ability to quickly meet their demands. By relying on an external organization to manage IT hosting and infrastructure, companies will have more time to devote to tasks that impact their bottom line. A survey found that 65% of respondents cited the need for quick business demands as an important reason for a business to switch to the cloud.
Insight
Cloud computing provides organizations with the ability to gain valuable insights from the vast amounts of data they possess. Cloud-based storage solutions allow businesses to access integrated cloud analytics, which gives them a comprehensive overview of their data. The data can then be tracked, and customized reports generated to analyze the information. From these reports, businesses can increase efficiency and create action plans to reach their objectives.
Quality Control
Cloud computing offers businesses a uniform, quality-controlled system of document management, with all data stored together in one place and in a single format. This negates the potential for human error and inconsistencies caused by having documents saved in different places and formats.
Increased Collaboration
Cloud computing makes it easy to collaborate with team members, regardless of their location. This kind of platform allows employees to securely review and share data, as well as provide social spaces to keep everyone connected. Working together without cloud computing is possible, but it is not as streamlined or effective.
Disaster Recovery
No matter how organized a business may be, there are always things that are out of its control. Cloud-based services provide the ability to quickly recover data in the event of any emergency, allowing businesses to minimize the negative impact on their productivity, revenue, and reputation. By using cloud computing, businesses can mitigate this potential risk by utilizing disaster recovery tools that can help reduce downtime and keep their services running.
Loss Prevention
If your business is not utilizing a cloud-computing solution, you could be at risk of permanently losing your data if any issues happen to arise. This can become a problem if a hardware failure, theft, user error, or other issue causes the computer to malfunction. With cloud-based servers, however, the information uploaded to the cloud is stored safely and can be easily accessed from any device with an internet connection, even if the local computer isn’t functioning.
Automatic Software Updates
Cloud-based applications are extremely convenient, as they automatically refresh and update themselves without any manual installation. This saves money and time for IT departments, as they do not have to spend resources on outside IT consultation nor on updating the system themselves. According to PCWorld, 50% of cloud adopters have seen the benefit of requiring fewer internal IT resources.
Competitive Edge
If you choose to use cloud computing, you will have a competitive edge over those who prefer to keep their operations in-house. As cloud computing continues to grow in prevalence, those who adopt the technology early will have a greater understanding of its capabilities than their competitors who have yet to make the switch.
Sustainability
Organizations that want to do their part in helping the environment must look beyond a simple recycling bin in the breakroom. Cloud hosting is an effective environmental initiative that cuts down on paper waste conserves energy and reduces commuter-related emissions by allowing employees to work remotely. This type of infrastructure is more environmentally friendly and helps businesses achieve true sustainability.