Think back to how quickly technology has changed. A few short years ago, every computer was a free standing unit. All upgrades, all changes, all control was handled by moving from unit to unit.
Fast forward as organizations quickly found ways to integrate the entire process to help them scale their businesses. They developed an in-house infrastructure, with expensive servers, physical copies of software, and lots of fully equipped computers for each end user. Control was centralized, meaning it was easier to keep things running smoothly without having to go out to each end user to make adjustments or corrections.
And while this may still be the norm in some businesses, once again technology is changing the way businesses are operating.
Cloud computing is now moving rapidly into businesses of all sizes, and allows a business to put the processing and hosting responsibilities on a professional third party company. Instead of running everything internally, employees access their programs, email and data via browser like tools that connect them to everything they need to operate efficiently. And while large enterprises have been quick to adapt, there are many reasons why small businesses should make the transition as well.
Flexibility
One of the biggest reasons people move to cloud computing services is to allow your employees to work from anywhere. All documents, programs and related data is stored online, which means they will never be tied to a single computer in order to get their work done. With desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones all being able to access the same data at the same time, employees can quickly move to where they are needed most. A doctor, for example, can make notes on his smartphone as he finishes with a patient, move to a tablet as he talks with his staff, and open up the same file on his laptop as he sits down at his desk.
Since programs are not stored locally, updates, bug fixes and changes can all be handled on the server side without the end user experiencing any of the process. This creates a stable platform that helps the entire office stay productive throughout the day, without the usual downtime associated with in-house processes.
Backups
If you’ve ever lost important client files or large amounts of data before, you know how important it is to have a strong backup and data recovery plan in place. As users create new documents, their local copies are synced with a cloud version, making it easy to access a file later from any device. These systems can also save revisions so its possible to go back in time and work with a previous version if a mistake is made. Many cloud providers have comprehensive data backups that automatically copy and protect your data on a regular basis. So there is no more relying on an end user to initiate the process.
Collaboration
Cloud computing can now make even the smallest of offices more productive. Instead of having to move a file from machine to machine with a flash drive or through email, a user can simply go and “check out” a file, work on it, save it, and have it waiting for the next user. Collaboration on a project file from anywhere in the world is a simple as logging in. And with automatic backups occurring along the way, there is never any risk of having one team member delete the wrong data. Simply retrieve an earlier version and get right back to work.
If you’ve never thought about upgrading to a cloud based system before, you might be surprised at how easy it really is. Many small businesses can make the switch to the cloud, and even stay on their existing equipment (meaning your end cost will be even less). Find out today what the cloud can do for your business.
