Businesses have come to rely on the cloud more and more these days. Not too long ago, most companies used the Cloud in the same way individuals did, mainly to back up files. Today however, higher internet speeds have opened the door to many new possibilities. Savvy managers have phased out in-house IT in favour of remote servers, and here’s why.

Why You Should be Using the Cloud to Help Conduct Business

Lower costs

Switching to the cloud will almost certainly save money. It removes the need to constantly buy and upgrade hardware and software. Larger companies will be able to reduce, and in some cases, eliminate their servers completely. This saves on payroll and expensive square footage.

Also, there’s the cost of employee time to consider. No more searching for misplaced folders, or digging through archives for a file from years ago. Many businesses have now linked payroll and accounting systems to banks and other financial institutions, using the cloud. Thus, dramatically reducing back office man-hours. Work, that previously took hours, now gets done in a matter of seconds.

Simplicity

The cloud requires no installation or maintenance on your part. The latest hardware and software will be available for the asking. You’ll never need to download another update. On-site infrastructure will be replaced as a service. Start-ups can get up and running in days instead of weeks or months.

Convenience   

With cloud storage, you can organize your folders in the way that works best for you, be it alphabetically, numerically, by date, by size, by phone number, however you choose. You can also re-order or search them instantly, for sure a lot easier than rummaging through a filing cabinet. Consider the time you and your staff will save.

Then there’s online banking. Financial institutions of all sizes now offer services such as online bill pay, mobile deposits, cash transfer, and even direct debit collections.  By moving payment processes such as direct debits to the cloud, everything can be far better managed and operated.

Portability

Cloud computing enables employees can work from anywhere where there’s an internet connection. They aren’t chained to a desk as most cloud vendors offer mobile apps at no extra fees. Cloud users have 24/7 access. You and your team can share, edit, and instantly update files no matter where in the world you’re located.

Flexibility

Cloud-based services are perfect for businesses with growing or fluctuating storage or bandwidth demands. Scale your IT up and down as needed throughout the business cycle. You’ll no longer need to spring for new equipment when things get busy, only to have it sit idle when things slow down.

Safety and Security

It’s always been good practice to back up everything and anything that’s incredibly important to your business. With the cloud though, you no longer need to worry about that. Any reputable cloud storage supplier will make back-ups of back-ups. That keeps your business up and running even if disaster strikes. Security wise, applications and data maintained in the cloud are generally more secure than data held in on-premises corporate systems or a hard drive in the office, for example. Vendors employ the highest level of security.

Practicality

High traffic Websites are a huge drain on IT resources. Cloud hosting combined with managed services allows your web developers to focus their efforts on the sites’ content and not get bogged down with the small details of daily maintenance. Be it a simple blog, or a high traffic corporate site, cloud-based hosting provides improved expandability and availability.

Reliability

E-commerce web sites live and die by their reliability. If something isn’t operating correctly, customers will leave and sales will be lost as a result. This includes how long it takes for a page to load. Consumers expect everything to function as quickly as possible, so any delays may force them to look elsewhere. The cloud operates far faster than the traditional servers you may be used to relying on and will be able to handle any rises in traffic.

So, when you think of the cloud, think unlimited storage, unlimited expandability, and unlimited possibilities; and of course, don’t forget to back up those files. Utilising it will speed up and streamline vital areas of your business.