Technical Brief June 2010 - Can Cloud Computing Help My Business
Cloud Computing is one of the most "buzzed about" concepts in technology circles today. But we know what you're thinking: you're an on-the-go businessperson, and words like "Cloud Computing" don't hold a lot of meaning to you.
You want to know two things:
- What is Cloud Computing?
- How can it help my business?
No problem - in this newsletter, we will break down the definition of Cloud Computing, and tell you in straightforward terms why your company needs to take advantage of this exciting trend today.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing is when a company uses the Internet to host data or programs, instead of on-site servers.
Why would Cloud Computing benefit my business?
There are a number of benefits to Cloud Computing. We'll focus on a few of the main ones:
Much less expensive than on-site solutions:
When you have an on-site solution, you need to purchase servers, full licenses for your software, upgrade your computers every few years, employ a full IT staff and much more.
Cloud Computing can save you money in all respects:
- No on-site servers needed: Save tens of thousands by not having to purchase servers, or take up office space housing and cooling them.
- Heavily reduced on-site IT needed: The very expensive servers need very expensive IT experts to take care of them. With Cloud Computing, all of the maintenance is off-site, and shared amongst a number of clients, which means the final cost to you is much, much lower.
- Use software when you need it: Buying software licenses for each computer can add up in a big hurry - especially when you don't need to use the software very often! With Cloud Computing, you can access programs only when you need them, and pay for them only when you're accessing them. You won't have to have the expensive programs on only one or two computers - anyone can access the program when they need it.
Cloud Computing increases productivity:
Another great feature of Cloud Computing are the gains it offers in productivity. For instance:
- Access your files and programs from anywhere: Instead of having to take everything with you wherever you go, Cloud Computing allows you to remotely access your files and programs no matter what computer you're on. Now the office truly has no walls!
- No downtime: When your on-site servers go down, there's nothing you can do - you're stuck, with no Internet or Email. With Cloud Computing, we use a number of servers at any given time. If one goes down, there will always be a backup in its place.
- Always using up-to-date software: Maintenance of your software is handled off-site, so you know you'll always be using well-maintained, up-to-date software solutions.
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