Tip of the Week: 3 Ways the Cloud Streamlines Operations for SMBs

The cloud is a great asset that your business can use to your business’ operational efficiency, but only if you’ve put plenty of thought into the implementation process. Since the same cloud solution likely won’t work in the same way for two different organizations, you’ll need to intimately know what your business needs so that you can build and deliver a cloud solution to meet these demands. This week’s tip is all about helping you determine the best cloud solution for your organization.

Here are three factors that you need to consider when seeking out a cloud solution.

Hosting and Maintenance
It’s likely that hosting complicated technology solutions isn’t your organization’s forte. Not only is it a time-consuming endeavor, but it’s also technical and challenging. Plus, your organization may not have anyone dedicated to the task. In this case, it’s ideal to simply outsource this responsibility so that a cloud provider can host your solution and maintain it for you.

There are three types of cloud solutions that allow your organization to adapt to its specific needs: public, private, and hybrid. Public clouds allow your organization to store data in a shared online space that’s managed by the provider. Private clouds, on the other hand, can be hosted on-site on your own network, or virtually by an outside provider. Hybrid clouds are designed in a way which allows for the convenience of a public cloud while retaining the privacy and functionality of a private cloud.

Flexibility
Since your business will inevitably grow, you’ll be likely to add new users and implement new technologies. You’ll obtain more clients, and in doing so, your workload will increase to the point where your previous infrastructure might not be able to handle it properly. Therefore, if you want your cloud solution to be a valuable asset in the future, you’ll need to think about growth.

The cloud allows organizations of all shapes and sizes the flexibility to adapt to changes in their workforce or the number of devices accessing company data. You will have complete control over how many user accounts and how much data storage your organization has. The main difference, however, is that the public cloud makes it a bit less expensive to expand. If you choose a private cloud solution, it is sure to require a substantial investment on your part, as you will have to secure the resources. The main benefit of the private cloud is that you will have full control over the management and maintenance of the computing infrastructure, providing complete situational flexibility.

Security
When it comes to running a business, there are few things more important than security. Considering how cloud storage is based in the Internet, you have to worry more about hackers. There are security solutions designed to keep breaches from occurring, but not all cloud solutions offer the same level of protection.

What’s the major difference between these cloud solutions in regard to security? The public cloud generally allows for a set level of protection, with the potential for increased levels of service depending on how much you’re willing to pay. The good news is that the public cloud is relatively safe, the reason being that these cloud providers generally have trained IT teams that are dedicated to keeping your data safe. Of course, this is just to keep their own organization safe, but it’s nice to know that you can count on them. The same can be said for any managed service provider who offers a private cloud hosting service. If you host your own private cloud, you can implement whatever measures you desire.

Do you need a hand choosing a cloud solution for your business? If so, reach out to us at (202) 640-2737.