A study from January 2018 showed that 96 percent of businesses already use or plan to use cloud computing in the near future. This isn’t a big surprise considering that this technology has sparked a sort of revolution in the world of small and mid-sized businesses, providing them with the opportunities they couldn’t afford otherwise.
Basically, all they need in order to use a cloud service is a computer and an internet connection. They can then get ahold of exactly the apps and services they need. Another great thing is that they can pay for them on a monthly basis; the same manner they pay other utility services.
Apart from being easy to get ahold of, cloud services also have a direct impact on the success of the company. It can affect the business in a number of different ways. Here are some, which we believe are the most important.
1. File Recovery
Better safe than sorry – this should be your motto if you wish to run a successful business. Having your important files stored in a safe place means that even if a disaster happens, it won’t harm your company.
The fact is that data loss happens more often than we like to admit. The cause of it can be anything from a power outage to a system failure. That’s why doing a back-up of your files is essential. There are two ways this can be done. The first, more traditional method is to store the important files on external drives.
The biggest problem with this is that the back-up can’t be done instantly. A much better solution is to use a cloud server, which can save all the files automatically. Once the data is uploaded to the cloud, not only is it completely secured but it’s also at your disposal to use it anytime you want.
2. Money-Saving
Another reason why businesses have started using cloud computing more and more is that it can save them quite a lot of money. For example, they aren’t required to purchase any additional hardware, pay for server maintenance, pay for a license, and so on.
Instead, all they need to do is pay for a subscription, which usually costs only a few hundred dollars a year. Of course, most cloud services also offer their packages on a monthly basis. In fact, that kind of flexibility is what the users appreciate a lot. They have a chance to choose exactly the package their business needs.
3. Better Customer Support
The 21st–century customers don’t want to wait hours to get their questions answered. They demand instant solutions. Therefore, the companies that offer the traditional 9-to-5 customer support don’t have much chance against the competitors who are there for their clients 24/7.
The good news is that cloud computing is a technology that enables everyone to offer around-the-clock customer support. It allows the companies to hire employees from literally any corner of the world. Furthermore, most cloud services can be used on different devices, like laptops, tablets, and even mobile phones. Remote work becomes child’s play with the use of the cloud technology.
4. Work-at-Home
If a company stores all of their information on a cloud, there really is no need for employees to come to the office. Instead, they can do all the work from the comfort of their home. This is actually a great thing both from the employees’ and the employer’s point of view.
When the cloud is used, employees don’t have any need to commute for tens of miles each day, spending hours stuck in the traffic. When it comes to the employers, a cloud enables them to hire people from remote parts of the planet. This means that they can hire real experts, rather than sticking to those living in the same area.
5. Improved Collaboration among Employees
The days of micro-management are gone. The boss has no need to delegate the work to each employee separately. Instead, this job is done in the cloud. Of course, this is something that depends quite a lot on the type of cloud software used. For example, the online Kanban board is the perfect tool for boosting the productivity of your team.
Kanban board online and other similar tools are a great solution for allowing several different employees work on one document at the same time. This way, they have no need to waste their time on sharing files, sending emails to one another, and so on. They can also use the cloud-based management tools to communicate with each other, which is something that eliminates the need of using a phone or another means of communication.
Final Word of Cloud Computing
The world of business is changing all the time and those who don’t adapt to the change are likely to end up bankrupt. Cloud computing is one of the things that are becoming more and more popular each day, so it’s almost impossible to ignore it. The sooner your company embraces this technology, the better. And once that happens, you’re guaranteed to notice a lot of improvement in your business.
