Put your IT in the cloud – not your head!

Posted by: Mark Northall | February 6, 2015 | No Comments »

There are great advantages to cloud computing services and no wonder it is becoming an easy choice for businesses: the minimal upfront costs, pay-as-you-go cost structure, flexible access to software and data, and the fact that the expensive and awkward parts of the IT setup are someone else’s burden!
Cloud services can make applications that were once the preserve of only the largest organisations, like CRM, sales management, contact centre software, call recording – available to any company, from a two-person business to a £20 million turnover organisation.
One of the biggest benefits of Microsoft Office 365 is that it gives you virtually anywhere access to the Microsoft Office tools you know and rely on – your complete office in the cloud.
Some businesses are concerned about exactly how to choose the right cloud applications, how to get the best use from them, and if their data will be secure when it’s up there. To help dispel these doubts, here are the key questions you should ask a cloud service provider before committing.
So do you know what the cloud is? Simply put, cloud computing is computing on the internet. Rather than installing programs on a computer, for example, people can run applications directly from a website. This principle also applies to storage of data; rather than keeping folders full of important work on your own PC, it can be stored remotely online this gives you data you can access from any computer regardless of where you are
And the reason why you should be using it ?Cloud computing and storage has a huge number of benefits for small businesses – as well as being more efficient, it also gives you a little protection if the worst happens and you lose access to the files on your computer – no real need for an IT disaster recovery plan !
Cloud computing allows you to store as much or as little data as you need to, usually charging on a pay-as-you-go basis. This means that you don’t need to upgrade your own hardware, and allows you to keep saving and working without worrying about limitations. The vast number of servers involved in a cloud system also means that bandwidth requirements can be increased on demand, so you don’t have to wait around to gain more space.
Would you like to discuss Cloud Computing for your Business? Give MBM a call.