What Are the Chief Benefits of Cloud Computing?

Chances are, you already use cloud computing in your personal life with applications such as Facebook, Gmail, and Dropbox. But what about your business?

According to a recent study, 31% of companies still don’t use cloud computing to organize and operate their business. Although some of these companies stated they plan to implement cloud computing at some point in the future, this still leaves a large margin of businesses who are, dare we say, living in the dark ages of information technology.

Numerous misconceptions about cloud computing are usually to blame for this. Ahead, we’ll dismantle these concerns by detailing the most potent benefits of using cloud computing in your business or organization.

Top Benefits of Cloud Computing

1. Access From Anywhere

One of the most useful benefits of the cloud is the ability to access your company’s data, software, applications, and more from anywhere in the world. As long as you have an Internet connection, you’ll be able to access the cloud.

For certain businesses, this provides the ability to hire remote workers. Employees, likewise, generally enjoy the ability to work from home or remotely at their leisure. On business trips, huge amounts of equipment aren’t necessary when all necessary data and services can be accessed via any WiFi connection.

2. Always-Up-to-Date Software

Many programs that your business may require will need occasional (or seemingly daily) software updates to continue to run properly. Instead of having to allow and wait for these updates every time you log on to your computer or an individual program, cloud-based software automatically updates and refreshes (unless you tell it not to).

For employees and your entire business, this means valuable time saved. Furthermore, as a result, fewer IT resources and in-house specialists are required to oversee updates and server maintenance.

3. Loss Prevention & Reliable Backup Protection

With cloud-based storage and computing, much less data will be lost from careless errors, computer glitches, or malicious software (malware). Furthermore, in the event of an emergency, cloud-based storage allows for immediate backups to be procured and implemented.

Formerly, backing up entire collections of data and programs would take an immense amount of time and take up valuable space. As a result, many companies did not perform routine data backups and were thusly in big trouble when problems would inevitably arrive.

4. Added Security

Security is a major issue when it comes to cloud-based storage and cloud computing as many company heads and managers falsely believe that the cloud is more susceptible to security problems than in-house data storage on servers.

Actually, cloud security is extremely effective and robust. That’s because maintaining adequate security is one of the most important responsibilities that a cloud host has. Likely no one is more efficient at security than the leading cloud hosts.

Furthermore, many security issues actually arise from internal theft. In these situations, off-site data storage is much more effective than on-site server storage.

5. Saved IT Costs

While it is true that switching from in-house data storage to a cloud-based data storage system does come with an initial price tag, the long-term cost benefits of this switch will surely be in your favor. In fact, cloud computing comes with a huge return on investment (ROI) across the board.

For example, starting any new project, backing up your data, and implementing new services and programs can all be completed much more easily with the cloud. Of course, in this way, easier means cheaper.

Instead of having to install important programs and applications on all of your employees’ computers, for instance, the cloud enables you to purchase one cloud subscription for everyone. Within reason, no matter the device, no matter the location, your employees (or clients, customers, etc.) will always be able to access the services of that program as well as up-to-date data.

Furthermore, you only have to pay for the cloud storage you actually need. If you’ll simply be backing up files and keeping inventory information on the cloud, for example, you won’t need to pay for the larger amount of space that might be required to store massive amounts of sensitive data. The price tag of your cloud services will always be catered to your unique needs.

If your company or organization hasn’t made the switch from in-house servers to the cloud yet, consider it a must for your 2019 to-do list. As the business world moves further and further toward complete cloud and Internet reliance, your business will certainly go the way of the dinosaur if you’re not on board.