Put simply, Cloud computing is on demand computing through the internet, not through local servers. Most businesses will already make use of Cloud computing, whether that’s through office solutions, such as O365, or perhaps web-based eCommerce. Traditionally, core business solutions, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) have been run on internal servers, but there’s an increasing trend for businesses to move to Cloud solutions. So, what are the benefits to migrating these key business systems to the Cloud:
Moving to a Cloud solution means no more worries about internal infrastructure, hardware, space requirements, or large teams to maintain. Cloud solutions are maintained for you and measures can be built in to add additional support, such as server monitoring to ensure that the systems are running at their optimum.
With no server and infrastructure costs, businesses can significantly reduce capital expenditure. Organisations can choose between hosting their software on Cloud based servers, with a monthly subscription, or migrate to a full Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Under both models you “pay as you go”. You are, therefore, effectively renting servers and software, with no capital costs. This makes Cloud computing extremely cost effective, as you can scale up and down to suit your requirements.
Businesses that have older legacy, on-premise based systems, will be familiar with the problem of expensive and time-consuming upgrades. Under a Cloud SaaS model, systems are typically upgraded automatically to the latest version of the software as soon as it is released. For example, Microsoft have the concept of Evergreen for their business solutions, where upgrades happen automatically. This means that businesses no longer need to be running old versions of software and can always take advantage of latest product features and lower “upgrade” costs.
If your systems are based in the Cloud, all you need to access them is an internet connection. This frees up all your users, whether office based or mobile, to have the same access to the business systems anytime and anywhere. With more companies offering home working, a Cloud based solution ensures secure access to key systems for all users, without the need for companies having complex and secure internal infrastructure.
As noted above, Cloud service providers need to make their systems secure, so that users can access them from anywhere. To do this they make huge investments in technology and resources to make their platforms secure. Many small and medium business could not afford to implement this level of security on their own servers and infrastructure, let alone manage it on an ongoing basis. In addition, most Cloud solutions will include backups and disaster recovery failover as a matter of course, meaning that valuable data is kept secure.
With all users having access to the same systems, wherever they are, collaboration across the business will increase with real time visibility of information. Add to that the flexibility of scalability for document storage and a Cloud solution becomes the ideal way of maximising interactions between employees.
With no need to set up complex internal infrastructure and server environments, the time to set up new systems, or migrate existing systems to the Cloud is minimised. Cloud solutions can be spun up in a relatively short period of time, leading to faster deployments at lower cost.
With many benefits and the advantage of lowering risk, by not having to manage and maintain your own internal systems, now might be the right time to move your key business systems to the Cloud.