What is the Cloud? And what does it mean to me and you?

Everybody is sure that cloud computing is key to the future of IT, but people often seem unsure quite what it is. The Cloud or Cloud computing is a term for a number of different trends, all involving the internet and its potential to simplify the way we use computers and extend their capabilities.

The Cloud is the internet, and the term is fitting it’s large, out there somewhere, and fuzzy at the edges. Cloud computing is about putting your data in professionally managed IT facilities and less on PCs or servers that a business runs for itself.

The IT problem
The problem with IT as we see it is that most business owners are already juggling so many balls – making contacts, securing funding, paying suppliers and employees – all while trying to make a profit – that they don’t have the time to analyse the benefits of different IT systems. Adding one more metaphorical ball to the juggling act is often too much.

As such, deciding whether Onsite IT, the Cloud or a combination of the two is the best way to meet their company’s current and future IT requirements is rarely a top priority.

This generally means you either freeze and delay making technology-related decisions, or end up adopting a piecemeal approach to IT that may be hard to change when the company grows. Or, worse than that, it’s less secure than you or your customers would like.

Businesses can indeed benefit from the cloud and the technology lends itself to providing IT for SMEs, as it can grow with the business – generally more so than a static, office-based server can.

The cloud provides:

]The flexibility of greater access to files no matter where you are – in or outside the office

Increased security by storing files in a secure location, not on a laptop or office-based server

Increased storage

Regular upgrades and access to more up-date technology

Using the cloud doesn’t necessarily mean not using IT support

As easy and accessible as the cloud is, it still requires time and effort to set up and maintain, the very reason most businesses outsource their IT services to specialist firms in the first place.

Traditionally the cloud has played upon the fact that IT support is not needed to adopt it, that anyone can do it themselves. While this is true to a degree, it’s much easier to turn to an IT expert to plan cloud strategy based on your business needs now and a few years down the line than it is to try to go in blind and identify which of the many options will best suit your business.

The good news is that with cloud computing this is now easier than ever. The Cloud means your IT Support Company is now better equipped to provide the right solution for your business.

We work closely with customers to help them move to a cloud solutions that meet their IT requirements. You receive a single IT invoice rather than several, making cashflow more predictable.

A Cloud computing service also means that you can add – or take away – account access with a simple call or email to your IT service provider, making it much easier when new employees start or others move on.
As business owners and senior managers we all know how many hats you need to wear to run an effective business but the good news is, with the right support, IT expert does not need to be one of them!