Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

HomeBlog
Is the Cloud Still a Good Business Decision in 2023?

Is the Cloud Still a Good Business Decision in 2023?

January 5, 2023

A few… Well, more than a few years ago, when cloud computing exploded, it was one of the most exciting new ways to manage, distribute, and store digital information. Like most technological trends, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact date when the cloud became a thing, but generally the term started getting thrown around in the late 90s when some software platforms started using the Internet to host applications and information. In 1999, Salesforce was perhaps one of the most popular cloud-based platforms, offering a hosted version of their software that was available “on-demand” for businesses with a licensed subscription. 

Since then, the cloud became a buzzword representing sort of a mish-mash of ideas and concepts that more or less meant “my data is somewhere far away and I don’t need to worry about it.”

For the consumer, it meant photos didn’t need to be kept on a phone’s storage, or documents were accessible from anywhere. It meant less loss if your files were backed up to the cloud, and it opened up ideas like Software-as-a-Service (Saas), and has almost completely done away with physical copies of software like games, applications, and even media.

The world has totally adopted the cloud whether the individual likes it or not. We get music from services like Spotify and iTunes, which are cloud services. We get our apps from the Google Play and Apple App stores, which are cloud services. Where once we had shelves of DVDs and Blu-rays, most consumers stream movies and shows from cloud-based streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.

The world’s largest companies use the cloud to their advantage, from Microsoft changing their offering to an online SaaS-based model to Amazon attributing almost three quarters of their profit to their cloud-hosting services. When the cloud and business are combined, the conversation almost always leads to profits.

The Cloud and SMBs

The main pillar of cloud computing is scalability, and that goes both ways. The cloud is a computing environment that is built around allowing businesses to scale upwards effectively, but in the same way, the massive benefits that huge industry giants have gained from using the cloud are all available at the smaller scale to smaller businesses and organizations.

As a business owner, you have to look at the cloud as a technology that essentially levels the playing field to a certain degree. While at the smallest scale, it might not initially have a drastic impact on a business or your overall IT spend, as you scale upwards, it lowers a lot of the higher barriers for computing costs, and often has important capabilities like security, compliance, and collaboration baked right in.

We’re being vague because that’s the nature of the cloud. It isn’t one simple, definable thing. It’s utilizing computers that aren’t yours to handle data storage, processing, sharing, and application delivery. That opens businesses up to virtually unlimited possibilities.

The Cloud and Your Small Business

How the cloud can help your business depends on a lot of factors, but here are some things that some SMBs might be dealing with that could be moved to the cloud: 

  • On-premise Exchange email servers
  • On-premise application servers, especially in situations where multiple servers are in play in one location.
  • Legacy on-premise phone systems
  • Inelegant solutions in place to support multiple locations
  • In-house infrastructure is starting to struggle to support growth
  • Servers and line-of-business applications are reaching end-of-life

Of course, these are just some of the leading indicators that it’s time to start looking at cloud computing. If you are looking to get a handle on your IT budget this year, we can help. That includes looking for opportunities to utilize cloud computing to reduce your overall IT footprint and reduce capital expenditures on new hardware, while giving you the flexibility and peace of mind to drive your business forward.

Give us a call at (571) 470-5594 to get the process started.

No items found.
Previous Post
March 31, 2025
Celebrate World Backup Day by Focusing on Your Backup Preparations
Your business runs on data. You keep customer information, invoices, project files, inventory and much more. If you were to lose it, you face a myriad of problems from hits to your reputation to major downtime. Today is World Backup Day, so we thought it would be good to highlight just how important having a feature-rich and reliable backup strategy is.
March 28, 2025
Which Cloud is Most Effective for Your Business?
How much does your business currently rely on the cloud? There are loads of ways to use it, but the best way is to find what works for your business, then double down on it according to your company’s specific needs. We’re looking at how the type of cloud can impact the way your business uses this flexible asset.
March 26, 2025
Tip of the Week: Get the Most Out of Your Chrome Experience
Google Chrome is everywhere. It’s one of the most popular web browsers for a reason, but most people don’t take full advantage of everything it can do. That means you’re probably missing out on some cool features that could save you time and make your life a whole lot easier.

Have a project in mind?

Start with our free consultation for VA, DC and MD companies. We will provide a detailed proposal and firm quote based on your specific IT support needs. All at a predictable monthly cost per seat.
Free Consultation - Sign Up Here