These days, everyone’s talking about the cloud. Businesses are increasingly moving part, or all, of their infrastructure to the cloud because it allows them to reduce costs, increase productivity and maximise the security and reliability of their networks. There are a multitude of cloud-based services available to businesses including cloud computing, cloud communications and various hosted software solutions. Cloud services are hosted by a provider and tend to be charged on a per-user, subscription basis. The cloud offers benefits for businesses of all sizes, but small businesses tend to benefit the most. In this article, we explore why so many businesses are switching to cloud computing.

Collaboration

Businesses that have switched to cloud computing are finding that employee collaboration has never been easier. Documents and applications can be accessed simultaneously by multiple team members, even if they are working in many different locations. The nature of our workforce is changing, becoming more fluid, with workers dispersed across a variety of locations. Many businesses have employees working from home, on the go and often in a number of different countries. For these businesses, cloud computing is ideal because it allows employees to access company documents and applications from any device and almost any location. All that is required is an internet connection.

Efficiency

All businesses want to increase efficiency because doing so has a direct impact on a company’s bottom line as well as helping to improve the service they provide to their customers. Cloud computing offloads the responsibility for IT management to the provider, thereby significantly reducing the workload of your in-house IT team. Many small businesses opt for cloud computing because it allows them to operate without having to employ IT personnel. The cloud provider is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the service as well as ensuring maximum security, which frees businesses up to concentrate on their core business activities which, in turn, allows them to operate much more efficiently than ever before. The fact that cloud computing enhances collaboration amongst workers also contributes to a much more efficient workforce.

Flexibility & Scalability

It’s in the nature of business to pursue growth, but it’s not a certainty and time scales are not always predictable. Most businesses experience ups and downs. Cloud computing makes this easier to manage because it offers greater flexibility and simple scalability. Businesses that have switched to cloud computing are enjoying the fact that their changing demands can be met in an instant, whether this is adding or removing users or adjusting bandwidth and storage requirements. Because cloud computing is charged on a per-user basis, costs remain predictable and manageable as a business grows.

Security & Reliability

Worrying about data security and maintaining uptime keeps many business owners awake at night. Not only is it a constant source of anxiety, but it can also be extremely costly to protect a business against these things. With cloud computing, however, security and reliability are assured by the provider. Businesses that have switched to the cloud tend to enjoy increased uptime and greater business protection than ever before. Vital company data is protected by the highest levels of encryption and, because it is stored in the cloud, it is always available should anything go wrong, such as theft of devices or company premises being made inaccessible to flood or fire.

Cost

Businesses constantly strive to reduce costs. The cost factor is one of the main reasons why so many companies are moving their infrastructure to the cloud. Cloud computing provides an extremely cost-effective solution, particularly from a small business perspective. Because of the per-user pricing structure, there will, of course, come a point where it becomes more cost-effective to own and manage your own infrastructure onsite. But for most businesses, this is a long way off. Cloud computing represents extremely good value for money, for most, because it offers enhanced security, ongoing support and often an increased network performance. It allows businesses to benefit from technology that they might otherwise be unable to afford. The simple subscription-based pricing structure, with cost per-user, is straightforward and makes it much easier for businesses to plan and manage their budgets.

If you’re looking for a reputable cloud computing provider in Birmingham and the West Midlands, contact Midland Networks today.

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