Did you know that small-to-medium businesses using cloud solutions can experience a 26% increase in company growth? Here are a couple of ways that shifting to the cloud for computing can help your business.

Cloud computing means that instead of purchasing fixed IT hardware, businesses can access computing hardware as they need it. The benefits? Cloud computing resources are accessible on demand, as needed. Resources can support shifting needs and periods of peak demand, versus being under-utilised most of the time and over-taxed some of the time. 

Efficiency

Cloud computing is more efficient in several areas. 

First, power usage. Did you know that cloud computing is environmentally friendly? Running one server constantly at full power, but half capacity? Not very energy efficient. Running a server farm that turns stacks on and off as required? Very energy efficient. Reduced power bills are good for the bank account and good for the environment. Sweet!

Teams also get more efficient. Accessibility of data, analytics, and processing power mean that businesses, particularly multi-nationals, can access their resources from anywhere with an internet connection. Additionally, having a set of communal documents saves a lot of time in revisions and group work. A single source of truth for final projects means less time spent looking for files and merging double-ups and more time getting the presentation finalised.

Security

Your IT team no longer has to focus on security, as that’s handled by the cloud computing provider. Industry best practice involves employing white hat hackers to test security protocols or even employing programs like Netflix’s Chaos Monkey, that make sure systems stay stable under load. Even the dreaded updates are handled automatically by providers. 

Cloud computing also means a more efficient cash flow. Traditionally, investing in tech solutions requires a chunk of cash upfront to pay for systems that need replacing in 4-5 years. Subscription models, used by cloud computing, mean a change to an operational expense, meaning a more stable cash flow, more reliable costs, and more funds to invest back into the business.

Strategic Value

Worldwide access to resources, as well as reducing double handling, can mean more successful projects and collaborators. We’ve waxed lyrical about the benefits of collaboration in the past, and having access to company assets stored on the cloud means that teams across the globe are able to collaborate on projects and bring international expertise to solve the problem. While Virtual Private Networks (VPN) can be a useful way to provide access to company data across the world, they have to rely on your network connection and the VPN server to handle requests, which can be slow, particularly with large, cumbersome files. 

By shifting computer power to the cloud, you ensure that your business has constant access to cutting-edge technology, lending the business the edge against competitors. This access can also open up new business avenues. Running experiments and prototypes is made simpler when access to platforms, server space, processing power, and AI technologies are a click away.

Cloud computing is ubiquitous, and most providers of internet service in this day use it. Isn’t it time your business did as well?

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