Cloud computing is changing the rules of
business and in the last few years this has surely become the biggest concept
in the business world. Small businesses are fast realizing the benefits of
adopting cloud computing in reshaping their productivity and operational
efficiency. Cloud computing for small business in the UK has gained immense
popularity in the last few years and it is expected that around 80% of small
businesses would migrate to the cloud by 2020 as against the current figures
which stand just above the 30% mark. Here in this brief write-up we take a look
at the benefits of migrating to cloud for small businesses.
Improves
Operational Flexibility
How often have you reached home and curse yourself for not
carrying an important document or presentation in a flash drive? With cloud
computing you will be able to access all data and information on any device
from anywhere in the world and this can go a long way in improving your operational
flexibility. In the modern world going to the office has become irrelevant as
employees are working from remote locations with flexible working arrangements.
‘Work from home’ has also emerged as one of the ways to keep employees happy
and improve their efficiency. Also BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) concept is
becoming popular and in all this Cloud Computing is the perfect solution in
this fast evolving environment.
Lowers
Costs
Mention the world ‘lower costs’, and the eyes of a small business owner would
light up! Lower costs allow small businesses to be more competitive and this is
where Cloud Computing has come as a big opportunity for small businesses to
embrace the latest technology without hurting their bottomline. With cloud
computing you won’t have to incur huge expanses in creating a physical
infrastructure of IT hardware. This also reduces the space and human resource
required to maintain such equipment. Also there is no need to regularly upgrade
your infrastructure to meet the changing needs of the market. You would use
cloud as a service and pay only for what you use.
Better Collaboration
Today in highly globalized business environment ‘collaboration’ within the
organization and that with partners and vendors is vital to improving your
operational efficiency. Gone are the days when you would attach documents on an
email and send it to one of your colleagues to download and share his/her views
on that. Cloud Computing allows easy sharing and access to various file and
data. With modern tools you would be able to create, edit and manage all your
data and files seamlessly.
Whether you have a multi-location operation or one
where your employees need simultaneously work using the same files and data,
cloud makes it possible.
Security
you are aware of the importance of data security and when you have the data
stored in your own premises you need to regularly upgrade your security
mechanism to keep them in sync with the evolving threats. Though this process is
expensive yet it remains vulnerable. When you migrate to the cloud you won’t
need to worry about the security of your files and customer data. Cloud service
providers employ the latest security protocols that prevent unauthorized access
and reduce the threat of hacking. They store this data in multiple locations
allowing them to quickly recover it on case of any attacks or physical damage
to their infrastructure.
Cloud Computing decimates the traditional
barriers that restricted small businesses to a small territory. It integrates your
front and back-office operations to create new opportunities to explore. If you
haven’t yet migrated to the cloud it is the right time to do so.
About Author: Sophia Smith has worked on many project related to cloud computing for small business in the UK. As a veteran in the IT industry he
regularly writes on the various changes that are taking place in the industry.
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