Youve heard of ‘keeping it on the cloud’ but what is the Cloud?
Cloud computing allows businesses large and small a way of managing their data, hardware and software online. That means you dont keep your documents and your work on your local computer you keep it in the cloud and access it using the Internet from either your desktop, laptop or phone.
How it Works
Cloud computing allows you and your business to keep your documents, emails and even applications remotely on the Internet. In essence instead of storing on your own laptop or PC the information is stored on a server somewhere on the Internet and you will access these through the Internet.
This means that all your business information is kept remotely on the cloud which gives you the great advantage of accessing your information through any laptop, desktop or mobile device wherever you have access to the Internet anywhere in the world.
There are three main Cloud Services available to you:
Software as a Service – SaaS
This is currently the most popular use of Cloud Computing used by small businesses. This is as the name implies using software on the cloud instead of on your local computer. This means that you dont need expensive applications with multiple licenses on each of your office machines and laptops. For example you would not need excel installed on your own pc you would read and edit your spreadsheet on the cloud from anywhere. This gives you the scalability you need to grow your business with little cost.
Infrastructure as a Service – IaaS
This service allows you to create your IT Structure remotely without the need for buying expensive servers that you have to maintain in your office environment. Instead you rent ‘what you need’ with file storage space etc. So when you need more file storage space when you expand you just purchase more space without having to restructure your existing hardware.
Platform as a Service – PaaS
This allows you (or a third party) to actually develop applications on the cloud that suit your business. These application tools are referred to as CloudWare.
So thats pretty much how it all works but what are the advantages?
Advantages of Cloud Computing
So this all sounds pretty exciting so I can just keep my business information on a cloud and access it from any of my computing devices through the Internet.
But there’s more advantages than that
- Reduced IT setup and ongoing costs.
- Built in Scaleability
- Automatic updating of software
- Remote working for employees
- Your provider ensures backup of your data
- Providing a Greener environment
- Business Continuity
See our review of Cloud File Storage Services
