Is Your System Capable of Backing up Your Data Efficiently? | The Cloud

Businesses all over the world have experienced more uncertainty than normal over recent times and many are still recovering from the disastrous effects the pandemic has had on the way we live and work, they are the lucky ones, some businesses didn’t survive it at all. Business owners are born problem solvers and relish a challenge, so they set about finding a solution to their problems – many came across technology as the logical choice, fortunately tech had reached a point that it could assist us in continuing to work throughout the pandemic. The most popular method of surviving the worst the pandemic had to offer was a full conversion to Cloud computing – it was the saving grace for many, allowing employees to continue working with very little change to their workday, apart from it now taking place in a remote setting.

Cloud computing works differently to traditional methods, the Cloud operates on a monthly payment plan as you are paying for a service – whereas traditionally you would need to pay for the infrastructure behind it as well. This makes it much easier for business owners – they now need only be concerned about business functions and improving functionality, convenience, and the productivity of the team, rather than spending time concerned about the mechanics of how it all works.

The Cloud has risen to a world-renowned status and is now the most popular tool of its kind of the market. Many have noticed its modern capable features and have made a transition from traditional on-premise IT, but people considering this must realize there are some big differences between the two.

It isn’t easy deciding on which option is best for you, your team, and the continued growth of your thriving business. In the remainder of the article, we will highlight the positives and negatives of the Cloud. We will then use the following article to highlight them in on-premise IT too, with the knowledge acquired from both articles we hope that you will be fully equipped to make the right decision for your organization. But don’t panic if not, it isn’t an easy subject to comprehend – if you still feel like you need help expert IT consultancy is a call away, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.

 

The Cloud – The Positives

Backup

The Cloud ensures your data is safe whereas traditional on-premise IT can be impacted by threats, failure, and disruption. But we still highly recommend that you have copies of your data hosted elsewhere with alternative services, you can never ‘overprotect’ your data, the more copies of your data you have the better as this way if you are the victim of a cyber attack it stands less chance of causing serious damage.

Connectivity

The Cloud makes levels of connectivity that were previously out of reach possible – it gives you and your team the ability to communicate and share from anywhere on the planet. The levels of collaboration possible when using it to its full potential are astounding; if using the tools correctly it has the power to change the way your team work long into the future. Cloud tools allows your team to work on the same document, at the same time, from anywhere on the globe, theoretically you could be in the office, your colleague on the beach, and another on his boat, as long as your internet connection is of a good standard you are able to work on the same documents at the same time.

Scalability

Cloud providers offer instant flexibility in the resources they provide. This enables you to scale as and when your organization needs to, which is important in the modern unpredictable world that we operate in, anything can happen, and we need to be ready. With the Cloud your business doesn’t have to fail due to uncertainty, as your needs change, you can scale the Cloud and evolve in a matter of hours, all whilst keeping things affordable too. The Clouds levels of scalability ensure that you and your team are using all the tools at your disposal as cost effectively as possible.

Business continuity

Quick access to your data in the event of a crisis is essential – with the Cloud you can conduct business as usual whilst minimizing loss of productivity and any downtime, uniquely allowing you to guarantee a level of service no matter the circumstances.

The reduced cost

The cost of managing and maintain your system is completely irradicated when using Cloud computing, a familiar cost we all know can reach extortionate heights. As part of your monthly subscription, Cloud providers usually include all system upgrades and any new hardware or software, which means there will be no unpleasant surprises regarding expenditures. With traditional IT on the other hand, you have to pay for all of this yourself at often a relatively substantial cost – you also need to remain aware of the market, upgrades are needed regularly and missing one could leave you behind your competition and vulnerable to security risks.

The Cloud can be a big saver on wages too. As bad as it sounds you can dismiss your entire on-premise IT team, your IT provider will include this as part of the service you pay for monthly.

The Cloud will boost the levels of productivity that your team are able to achieve, it will save you time and – arguably most importantly – money. But don’t get it wrong, the Cloud is by no means perfect. Everything has down sides and the Cloud is no different.

 

The Cloud – The drawbacks

Internet connection dependency

It isn’t hard to maintain internet connectivity nowadays, but, that doesn’t mean something unforeseen may force your internet connection to fail – leaving you without access to vital business data. Experiencing downtime of any length can be a disaster, and depending on the severity, could mean the end of your business altogether.

The loss of control

Giving up control traditionally doesn’t come easy to business owners. Handing over full control of your business data to others can be daunting – you are entrusting them to behave according to the law and in the best interest of your business simultaneously.

Your regulatory obligations may demand that you complete due diligence on the comprehensiveness of your infrastructure provider – you need to know where their data centers are, what the level of security is like, and seek reviews from their existing customer base – there is no better critic than someone still using their services.

Being powerless is never nice, especially when running a business. You are placing full trust in the IT professional in charge of your account to get the job done correctly and in such a way that it complements the way you choose to run your organization. Some providers however don’t offer a 24/7 service, so if this effects your business be sure to check and double check before committing.

Make sure that you are happy with the service they are offering, remember the reason you pay the monthly subscription for the Cloud is to be sure your data is safe and is protected both physically and digitally – there is no harm asking lots of questions until you find out everything you need to know.

We hope that this article has been informative on both the positives and negatives of Cloud computing. In the following article we will explore the pros and cons of on-premise IT, and hopefully guide you to make the right decision for your organization going forward.

 

 

Technology utilized

Founded in 1984, Horizon started off as a custom software company doing work for Snap-on Tools. We rapidly added helpdesk and network support to the business and have continued expanding our capabilities ever since – all while also successfully transitioning to a second generation of owners.

Our team has over a hundred years of combined experience in virtually every field of IT. We are trusted by clients of every size, from ‘mom ‘n’ pop’ local businesses all the way to multinational corporations who have heavy security and inter-connectivity requirements. Our employees deliver a truly customer-focused direction in everything we do.

After more than thirty years in business, Horizon continues to grow both our client base and our knowledge. We look forward to working with you to help your business enjoy that same success. Contact us now and see what we can do you.