If you are thinking about making a few changes to your business, cloud computing should be one of the changes you take into consideration. Before anything else, here is a definition of cloud computing:
“Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” -National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce
In a nutshell, it refers to services that the internet provides. Even if you may not be aware of it, you have or are using this technology. If you have sent an online fax or e-mail, then you have already used a form of cloud computing. Another type is storage, such as the service Google Drive or Dropbox provides. Here are some benefits of it and why it is making such an impact on businesses everywhere.
- Cloud computing reduces business costs while offering excellent scalability. Depending on the size of your business, you can get just what you need with the option of scaling up as your business grows. You will no longer need to buy expensive, unnecessary equipment, as well as hire employees to take care of the system. You only pay for what you need. In some cases, some cloud services do not charge for the first few GB of storage and such. If your business only needs the free service, you are not obligated to purchase anything.
“One commonly touted benefit of cloud computing is that the services automatically update so that you’re always using the current version and functionality. It’s great that your IT staff doesn’t need to continually update and patch the software running on your in-house systems because the cloud vendor does it all for you.” –Thomas J. Trappler, ComputerWorld
However, you should still check to see if the updates are going to be for your benefit. Sometimes, updates may be installed that are not required for your system.
- By shifting to cloud computing, you will be able to access your files and documents from virtually any location. Once you are connected to the internet, you can retrieve files through your computer or tablet since they are all stored online.
- You can customize your system depending on your needs. In fact, you can get the services of various providers according to what their expertise is. You can hire one company for online fax, and another for storage. You can combine all of these services to create your system that is tailored to fit your business needs.
- You can now print from the cloud. Printers have always been a standard piece of equipment for most businesses and now, you get the added convenience of being able to have physical documents via cloud computing. Here, we have Google Cloud Print as an example:
“Google Cloud Print is a new technology that connects your printers to the web. Using Google Cloud Print, you can make your home and work printers available to you and anyone you choose, from the applications you use every day. Google Cloud Print works on your phone, tablet, Chromebook, PC, and any other web-connected device you want to print from.” – Google.com
These are only a few reasons why cloud computing is shaping up to be the next big thing. If you want to take your business to the next level, this is definitely one of the things that must be integrated into your work processes.