Many business owners shun new technology and cloud computing, perhaps one of the newest computing trends, often falls victim to its own success. Businesses everywhere, regardless of size or industry, can benefit from the lower costs and streamlined processes cloud computing can offer.
Simply put, cloud computing is using computing resources in another location as if they were owned by your business. An application you use every day and all its corresponding data are still owned by you, however, the data is stored on a physical server (or multiple servers) that could be halfway around the world. The result is a scalable, low cost computing solution that is particularly beneficial to small and growing businesses that need realistic solutions to present day issues. Cloud computing means your business doesn’t have to buy and maintain expensive servers or dedicate office space to a data center
Clouds can be public, private, or a combination of both, but which one is best for your business?
Private Clouds
These are clouds that are operated on a private network. They offer the most security and control but they still require the business owner to purchase software and hardware infrastructure. A private cloud is the best choice when:
- Your company has to adhere to strict data security and privacy issues.
- The control and absolute security of your business data is critical to your success.
- You already have a data center or your company has the means to support a large cloud data center on its own.
Public Clouds
This is the basis of cloud computing. Your services and infrastructure are provided through the Internet and all information and applications are stored on shared servers offsite. Public cloud services offer the highest level of efficiency and they are an obvious choice when your business needs:
- A standardized workload that will be used by a number of different workgroups such as e-mail and basic office productivity programs.
- You need incremental capacity to cover busy periods and the ability to scale back during slow times.
- You have employees that work remotely or travel frequently that will need access to company files on the go.
Hybrid Clouds
Many companies want the cost-savings of public clouds but need the peace of mind of a secure private cloud. They opt instead for a hybrid of both public and private thus keeping every aspect of their business in the most efficient environment possible. Hybrid clouds can be difficult to manage at times and it is important that all parts of your business are free to communicate and share quickly and easily. But a hybrid cloud option is great for when your company offers services that are tailored to certain markets or have diverse departments that cater to different clientele. Data that is sensitive and subject to privacy regulations can be kept on the private portion of the cloud, while high-volume applications that take up a lot of data can be uploaded to the public cloud.
Stability Can Streamline Your Business with Cloud Computing
Cloud computing brings flexibility and cost savings to any business in any industry, the key is to find a qualified partner to assess your computer use and determine the best course of action. Stability has been helping clients do their business in the cloud ever since the technology became commercially viable and we know the best way to implement it for your business. Call us today for a free consultation and start putting your business in the clouds.
