The cloud is undeniably useful for most individuals and businesses, and its increasing use in business situations shows this. However, this doesn’t mean that it is the be-all and end-all for businesses. In this month’s newsletter, we thought we’d discuss some of the pros and cons of using cloud platforms inside a small business setting.
Let’s start with the benefits that an organization can see from using cloud computing.
One of the most important benefits of using cloud computing is in its ability to lower your technology cost. Firstly, since you pay as you go, it eliminates the need for you to plan to use significant resources for large-scale technology infrastructure. The more bang you can get for your buck, the better position your organization will be in.
With the shifting needs of a growing business, organizations often have to make some tough decisions about their technology. With computing resources in the cloud, it’s extremely easy to add access to software, processing, and storage. All you need to set users up is to contact the provider, and you can usually do this with a couple of clicks.
Another massive benefit for organizations with dispersed workforces is that cloud-based resources can be accessed anywhere on all types of computing devices with a high-speed Internet connection. This almost immediately improves organizational efficiency and collaboration.
Cloud service providers handle software updates and security patches, ensuring businesses always use the latest versions. They also typically offer backup and disaster recovery options, minimizing data loss risks, even if you use public cloud offerings that don’t provide dedicated control over maintenance and management.
Let’s now look at a couple of possible negative aspects of hosting your business’ technology in the cloud:
One of the biggest issues for IT management teams is that it is difficult to completely ensure data security as the data is almost always in transit over the Internet connection. Most businesses have to consider maintaining regulatory compliance, and it can be a challenge for some businesses to meet their compliance needs should they host data exclusively offsite.
One issue that cloud-based platforms cause is downtime if there is a lapse in availability due to connectivity loss. Since access to cloud services is entirely dependent on Internet connectivity, it can be difficult to find consistency if there is spotty connectivity or less-than-trustworthy connections to use.
With most cloud platforms, the provider handles all the management and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure, software updates and patches, and accessibility options. Not only could a cloud provider limit your control of your own data, but there is always the risk of a service disruption that costs your business dearly.
One issue many don’t consider is that transferring large amounts of data to and from the cloud can raise costs significantly. Latency can also be an issue depending on connectivity and proximity from your business to the data center. While this continuously improves, it can still be an issue for businesses.
Using the cloud is a wonderful strategy, but you should hedge your bets when considering moving to the cloud exclusively. If you would like to have a conversation with our expert technicians about how your business could be affected by a move to a specific cloud provider, call us today at (571) 470-5594.
